{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_53775/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_53775","id":"gutenberg_53775","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53775","summary":null,"tags":["Bible. Revelation -- Commentaries","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education"],"text":"A Bible School Manual\n\n Studies in the Book of Revelation\n\n An Introduction, Analysis, and Notes\n\n Containing a concise interpretation according to the symbolic view,\n numerous references to authorities, and general mention of other\n interpretations,\n\n With the Text of the American Revised Version Edited in Paragraphs, for\n the use of Bible Students.\n\n By\n\n Stephen Alexander Hunter, Ph.D., LL.D.\n\n Pittsburgh Printing Company\n\n Pittsburgh, Pa.\n\n 1921\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nForeword\nMaster\u2010Thoughts upon the Revelation\nPreface\nIntroduction\n 1. General Introduction.\n 2. The Title.\n 3. The Author.\n 4. The Unity.\n 5. The Date.\n 6. The Place.\n 7. The Canonicity.\n 8. The Form.\n 9. The Theme.\n 10. The Occasion.\n 11. The Purpose.\n 12. The Interpretation.\n 13. The Outline Analysis.\n 14. The Literary Structure.\n 15. The Literature.\nScripture Text\nAnalysis And Notes\n I The Prologue, Ch. 1:1\u20103:22\n 1 The Superscription, Ch. 1:1\u20103\n 2 The Salutation, Ch. 1:4\u20108\n 3 The Introductory Vision (The Glorified Son of Man), Ch. 1:9\u201020\n (1) The Trumpet Voice, Ch. 1:9\u201011\n (2) The Triumphant Son of Man, Ch. 1:12\u201013a\n (3) The Gracious Apparel, Ch. 1:13b\n (4) The Glorious Appearance, Ch. 1:14\u201015, and 16c\n (5) The Seven Stars, Ch. 1:16a\n (6) The Two\u2010Edged Sword, Ch. 1:16b\n (7) The Assuring Message, Ch. 1:17\u201020\n 4 The Seven Epistles, Ch. 2:1\u20103:22\n (1) The Epistle to the Church in Ephesus, Ch. 2:1\u20107\n (2) The Epistle to the Church in Smyrna, Ch. 2:8\u201011\n (4) The Epistle to the Church in Thyatira, Ch. 2:18\u201029\n (5) The Epistle to the Church in Sardis, Ch. 3:1\u20106\n (6) The Epistle to the Church in Philadelphia, Ch. 3:7\u201013\n (7) The Epistle to the Church in Laodicea, Ch. 3:14\u201022\n II THE MAIN APOCALYPSE, Ch. 4:1\u201022:5\n I The Vision of God on the Throne (A Vision of Sovereignty). Ch.\n 4:1\u20105:14\n 1 The Throne and the King, Ch. 4:1\u20103, 5a, and 6a\n 2 The Four and Twenty Elders, Ch. 4:4, 10 and 11\n 3 The Seven Lamps of Fire (or Torches), Ch. 4:5b\n 4 The Four Living Creatures, Ch. 4. 6b\u20109\n 5 The Sealed Book (or Scroll), Ch. 5:1\u20105\n 6 The Lamb, Ch. 5:6\u20108a\n 7 The Heavenly Worship, Ch. 5:8b\u201014\n II The Vision of the Seven Seals (A Vision of Trial). Ch. 6:1\u201017,\n and 8:1\n 1 The Opening of the First Seal, Ch. 6:1, 2\n 2 The Opening of the Second Seal, Ch. 6:3, 4\n 3 The Opening of the Third Seal, Ch. 6:5, 6\n 4 The Opening of the Fourth Seal, Ch. 6:7, 8\n 5 The Opening of the Fifth Seal, Ch. 6:9\u201011\n 6 The Opening of the Sixth Seal, Ch. 6:12\u201017\n 7 The Opening of the Seventh Seal, Ch. 8:1\n IIb The Episode of the Sealed Ones (A Vision of Salvation Assured).\n Ch. 7:1\u201017\n A The Sealed of Israel, Ch. 7:1\u20108\n 1 The Angels Holding the Winds, Ch. 7:1\u20103\n 2 The Number of the Sealed, Ch. 7:4\u20108\n B The Redeemed Out of All Nations, Ch. 7:9\u201017\n 1 The Innumerable Multitude, Ch. 7:9\n 2 The Cry of the Church Triumphant, Ch. 7:10\u201012\n 3 The Redeemed Before the Throne, Ch. 7:13\u201017\n III The Vision of the Seven Trumpets (A Vision of Threatening). Ch.\n 8:2\u20109:21, and 11:14\u201019\n A The Preparation for the Trumpets, Ch. 8:2\u20106\n 1 An Angel Offers Incense upon the Golden Altar, Ch. 8:3\u20105\n 2 The Seven Angels Prepare to Sound, Ch. 8:2, 6\n B The Trumpets Sounded, Ch. 8:7\u20109:21; and 11:14\u201019\n 1 The Sounding of the First Trumpet, Ch. 8:7\n 2 The Sounding of the Second Trumpet, Ch. 8:8\u20109\n 3 The Sounding of the Third Trumpet, Ch. 8:10\u201011\n 4 The Sounding of the Fourth Trumpet, Ch. 8:12\n (1) The Eagle and Its Message, Ch. 8:13\n 5 The Sounding of the Fifth Trumpet, Ch. 9:1\u201012\n 6 The Sounding of the Sixth Trumpet, Ch. 9:13\u201021, and 11:14\n 7 The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, Ch. 11:15\u201019\n IIIb The Episode of the Angel with the Book; and of the Two\n Witnesses (A Vision of Divine Help). Ch. 10:1\u201011:13\n A The Angel with the Little Open Book, Ch. 10:1\u201011\n 1 The Angel Foretells the End, Ch. 10:1\u20107\n (1) The Thunder Voices, Ch. 10:3b and 4\n 2 The Book Delivered to John, Ch. 10:8\u201011\n B The Two Witnesses, Ch. 11:1\u201013\n 1 The Measurement of the Temple, Ch. 11:1\u20102\n 2 The Two Witnesses and their Martyrdom, Ch. 11:3\u201013\n IV The Vision of Conflict (A Vision of Warfare). Ch. 12:1\u201014:20\n A The Woman and the Dragon, Ch. 12:1\u20106, and 13\u201017\n 1 The Sun\u2010Clothed Woman, Ch. 12:1\u20102, 5\u20106, and 13f.\n 2 The Great Red Dragon, Ch. 12:3\u20104, and 13f.\n 3 The All\u2010Ruling Man\u2010Child, Ch. 12:5\n 4 The Wilderness Refuge, Ch. 12:6a, and 14a\n 5 The Persecution of the Woman and her Seed, Ch. 12:4\u20106, and\n 13\u201017\n B War in Heaven, Ch. 12:7\u201012\n C The Two Beasts, Ch. 13:1\u201018\n 1 The First Beast\u2014the Beast from the Sea, Ch. 13:1\u201010\n (1) An Admonition to Patience, Ch. 13:9\u201010\n 2 The Second Beast,\u2014the Beast from the Land, Ch. 13:11\u201018.\n (1.) An Admonition to Wisdom, Ch. 13:18\n D. The Lamb on Mount Zion, Ch. 14:1\u201020\n 1. The Redeemed with the Lamb, Ch. 14:1\u20105\n 2. The Three Angel Messages, Ch. 14:6\u201011\n (1) The Message of the Eternal Gospel, Ch. 14:6\u20107\n (2) The Message of Babylon\u2019s Fall, Ch. 14:8\n (3) The Message of Doom for the Beast and his Followers,\n Ch. 14:9\u201011\n 3. The Blessedness of the Holy Dead, Ch. 14:12\u201013\n 4. The Harvest of the Elect, Ch. 14:14\u201016\n 5. The Vintage of Wrath, Ch. 14:17\u201020\n V. The Vision of the Seven Vials [or Bowls] (A Vision of Judgment).\n Ch. 15:1\u201016:12, and 16:17\u201021\n A. The Preparation for the Vials, Ch. 15:1\u20108\n 1. The Angels with the Plagues, Ch. 15:1\u20102a\n 2. The Victors by the Sea, Ch. 15:2b\n 3. The Song of the Redeemed, Ch. 15:3\u20104\n 4. The Judgment Made Ready, Ch. 15:5\u20108\n B. The Vials Poured Out, Ch. 16:1\u201012, and 17\u201021\n (1.) The Command to Pour Out the Vials, Ch. 16:1\n 1 The Pouring Out of the First Vial, Ch. 16:2\n 2 The Pouring Out of the Second Vial, Ch. 16:3\n 3 The Pouring Out of the Third Vial, Ch. 16:4\u20107\n 4 The Pouring Out of the Fourth Vial, Ch. 16:8\u20109\n 5 The Pouring Out of the Fifth Vial, Ch. 16:10\u201011\n 6 The Pouring Out of the Sixth Vial, Ch. 16:12\n 7 The Pouring Out of the Seventh Vial, Ch. 16:17\u201021\n Vb The Episode of the Frog\u2010like Spirits (A Vision of Warning). Ch.\n 16:13\u201016\n 1 The Unclean Spirits of Evil, Ch. 16:13\u201014, and 16\n 2 John\u2019s Word of Warning, Ch. 16:15\n VI The Vision of Victory (A Vision of Vindication). Ch. 17:1\u201020:15\n A The Mystic Babylon and Her Fall, Ch. 17:1\u201018:24\n 1 The Harlot and the Interpretation, Ch. 17:1\u201018\n (1) The Judgment of the Harlot Announced, Ch. 17:1\u20102\n (2) The View of the Harlot, Ch. 17:3\u20106\n (3) The Interpretation Given, Ch. 17:7\u201018\n 2 The Fall of the City Proclaimed, Ch. 18:1\u201024\n (1) The Announcement of Her Overthrow, Ch. 18:1\u20103\n (2) The Warning to God\u2019s People, Ch. 18:4\u20108\n (3) The Lament of the Kings of the Earth over Her Doom, Ch.\n 18:9\u201010\n (4) The Lament of the Merchants, Ch. 18:11\u201017a\n (5) The Lament of the Seamen, Ch. 18. 17b\u201019\n (6) A Call to Heaven and to the Church to Rejoice, Ch.\n 18:20\n (7) The Symbol of Her Irretrievable Ruin, Ch. 18:21\u201024\n B The Triumph of the Redeemed, Ch. 19:1\u201010\n 1 The Choral Song of Hallelujahs, Ch. 19:1\u20108\n 2 The Blessedness of the Marriage Supper, Ch. 19:9\n 3 Worship Refused by the Angel, Ch. 19:10\n C The Last Things, Ch. 19:11\u201020:15\n 1 The End of the Holy War, Ch. 19:11\u201021\n 2 Satan Bound, Ch. 20:1\u20103a\n 3 The First Resurrection, Ch. 20:4\u20106\n 4 The Millennium, Ch. 20.: 2b, 3b, 4b, 5a, 6b and 7a\n 5 Satan Loosed Again and Overthrown, Ch. 20:3c, and 7\u201010\n 6 The Second Resurrection, Ch. 20:11\u201012a, and 13a\n 7 The Last Judgment, Ch. 20:11\u201015\n VII The Vision of the New Jerusalem (A Vision of Triumph). Ch.\n 21:1\u201022:5\n 1 The New Heaven and the New Earth, Ch. 21:1\n 2 The Holy City, Ch. 21:2\u201022:5\n (1) The Tabernacle of God with Men, Ch. 21:3\u20104\n (2) The Bride, the Lamb\u2019s Wife, Ch. 21:2, 9\u201010\n (3) The City of New Things, Ch. 21:5\u20108\n (4) The City of Glory, Ch. 21:11\u201021\n (5) The City of Many Nations, Ch. 21:24, and 26\n (6) The City of Exclusions, Ch. 21:1, 4, 22, 23, 25, 27; and\n 22:3, 5\n (7) The City of Life, Ch. 22:1\u20102\n (8) The City of God, Ch. 22:3\u20105\n III THE EPILOGUE, Ch. 22:6\u201021\n A The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ, Ch.\n 22:6\u201016\n 1 The Message Reaffirmed, Ch. 22:6\u20109\n (1) The Witness of the Angel, Ch. 22:6\u20107\n (2) The Witness Confirmed by John, Ch. 22:8a\n (3) Worship from John again Refused, Ch. 22:8b\u20109\n 2 The Book Not to be Sealed, Ch. 22:10\u201011\n 3 The Promise of Christ to the Victors, Ch. 22:12\u201016\n B The Closing Testimony of John, Ch. 22:17\u201020\n 1 A Last Universal Invitation of Grace, Ch. 22:17\n 2 A Last Impressive Warning of Exhortation, Ch. 22:18\u201019\n 3 A Last Assuring Promise of Hope, Ch. 22:20a\n 4 A last Ecstatic Prayer of Yearning, Ch. 22:20b\n C The Author\u2019s Benediction, Ch. 22:21\nAppendix A: Some Fundamental Conceptions of the Apocalypse\nAppendix B: Current Questions of Divided Opinion\nAppendix C: Heptachords of Song and Blessing\nAppendix D: The Formal Series of Sevens\nAppendix E: The Symbolism of Numbers\nAppendix F: The Literary Structure of the Apocalypse\nAppendix G: The Apocalyptic Literature\nFootnotes\n\n\n\n\n\n\n [Cover Page]\n\n [Illustration]\n\nMap of Proconsular Asia. Following Ramsay, in _St. Paul the Traveller and\n Roman Citizen_.\n\n\n\n\n\n\u0397 \u0391\u03a0\u039f\u039a\u0391\u039b\u03a5\u03a8\u0399\u03a3\n\nThe Text of Revelation given in this volume is that of the American\nStandard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright 1901 by Thomas Nelson &\nSons, and is used by permission of the publishers.\n\n\n\n\n\nTO\nALL MY CLASSMATES, FRIENDS,\nAND\nFELLOW PILGRIMS ON LIFE\u2019S JOURNEY,\n\nFOR WHOM THE BOOK OF REVELATION,\nTINGED THOUGH IT IS WITH MYSTERY,\nCONTAINS A MANIFESTATION OF THE DIVINE PURPOSE\nIN CREATION AND REDEMPTION,\nAND A VISION OF THE FAR GLORY IN THE WORLD BEYOND,\n\nTHIS VOLUME\u2014\n\nWRITTEN IN THE HOPE THAT THE INTERPRETATION OFFERED\nMAY CONTRIBUTE IN SOME DEGREE TO A CLEARER APPREHENSION OF THE BOOK,\nAND MAY HELP IN SOME MEASURE TO MAKE ITS MESSAGE RICH,\nAND SWEET, AND ABIDING\u2014\n\nIS RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED\n\nBY THE AUTHOR.\n\n\n\n\n\nFOREWORD\n\n\nThe manuscript of this Commentary was completed several years ago, but its\npublication was unfortunately deferred until the author\u2019s health no longer\npermitted him to see it through the press or even to be consulted in\nregard to modifications. For this latter reason no change of any kind has\nbeen made either in the language or the arrangement of the material. In\nthe bibliography we have added the two recent monumental contributions to\nthe literature on the Book of Revelation, commentaries by I. T. Beckwith\nand R. H. Charles. Had the author possessed the physical strength after\ntheir appearance, we feel sure that he would have drawn upon these two\nextensive works which are intended for the use of technical scholars.\n\nThe significance of Dr. Hunter\u2019s \u201cStudies in the Book of Revelation\u201d lies\nin its clear and accurate presentation of the results of the investigation\nof modern scholars, in language which is comprehensible to the intelligent\nreader of the English Bible. The Revelation of St. John has been an enigma\nfrom the earliest Christian centuries. On the one hand, it has been\nshunned because of its mysteriousness; on the other, it has been\ndiscredited for sober\u2010minded, intelligent Christians by the absurd\nvagaries of its interpreters. Too often the caprice or predilection of the\ncommentator, rather than impartial study, has determined the meaning of\nthe closing book of the New Testament canon. The removal of this reproach\nhas been one of the signal achievements of the Biblical scholarship of the\nlast twenty\u2010five years. Such a notable result has been accomplished by the\ndiscovery and the interpretation of the Jewish Apocalyptic, a type of\nliterature that flourished from 200 B. C. on for several centuries. The\nRevelation belongs to this type of literature. It is the expression of a\nChristian\u2019s faith in the triumph of his Lord\u2019s kingdom through the use of\nsymbolism and imagery peculiar to Jewish Apocalyptic literature. Our\nauthor, in common with all modern scholars, has used this key for\nunlocking the mystery of the closing book of the Christian Scriptures. By\nits employment he has made clear the meaning of the Revelation to the\nopen\u2010minded reader of the English Bible. On every page the work gives\nevidence of scholarship, wide in its range, and thorough in its grasp, as\nwell as of sanity of judgment in the discussion of controversial\nquestions. Because of these qualities, Dr. Hunter\u2019s treatise is worthy of\nwide circulation. It meets a special need at this time as it is especially\nadapted to counteract fantastic theories of interpretation and theology\nwhich are based on a misunderstanding of both the purpose and the\nsymbolism of a New Testament book that ranks as an equal of the greatest\npieces of imaginative literature.\n\nThe proofs have been read by Mr. Walter H. Millinger, of the senior class\nof the Seminary, and the publication of the book has been made possible\nonly by the painstaking effort of a devoted friend and fellow\u2010worker of\nDr. Hunter, Mr. W. H. Wicks of the Pittsburgh Printing Company to whom\nboth the author and the reader are deeply indebted.\n\nJAMES A. KELSO.\n\n_The Western Theological Seminary,_\n_Pittsburgh, Pa._\n\n\n\n\n\nMASTER\u2010THOUGHTS UPON THE REVELATION(1)\n\n\n\u201c*I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and\nthe end*\u201d (Rev. 22.13):\u2014\u201cThis is the unifying thought of the whole book:\nnay of the whole Bible. _The Revelation of St. John is the meeting ground\nof the Old and New Testament_: what binds the long succession of books\u2014by\nso many authors, of so many different ages\u2014into a unity is expressed by\nthe saying that \u2018the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.\u2019 The\nwhole of prophetic literature yields its imaginative figures to adorn this\nfinal Revelation; all history is made one by the central thought of the\nkingdom of the world becoming the kingdom of Christ.\u201d\u2014RICHARD G.\nMOULTON,\u2014in _Literature of the Bible_.\n\n\u201c_The Book of Revelation is the sum of all prophecy._ It carries the\ndevout reader to a height from which he can see the history of God\u2019s\nkingdom from its beginning to its consummation in glory. It is the\nsublimest book in the Bible, and its study awakens the profoundest\nworship.\u201d\u2014J. M. STIFLER,\u2014in unpublished _Classroom Lectures_.\n\n\u201c_The Apocalypse constitutes the meridian of Hebrew poetry and art_,\nembracing in its individual forms the most diverse elements.... If the\nlaws of its construction be but recognized, the obscure Book of Revelation\nwill present itself to our eyes as a radiant constellation, a symmetrical\ncathedral built upon a plan of perfect clearness and transparency.\u201d\u2014JOHN\nPETER LANGE,\u2014in _Commentary on the Revelation_.\n\n\u201c_The book has an imperishable religious worth_ because of the energy of\nfaith that finds expression in it, and the splendid certainty of its\nconviction that God\u2019s cause remains always the best, and is one with the\ncause of Jesus Christ; but it is unreasonable to treat the detail of its\nphantasies as an authentic source for a history of the past or future.\u201d\u2014A.\nJ\u00dcLICHER,\u2014in _Introduction to the New Testament_.\n\n\u201c_In the Apocalypse the emphasis placed upon the omnipotence of God rises\nto a climax._ There only in the New Testament (except II Cor. 6.18) is the\nepithet \u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03ba\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03c1 [All\u2010Ruler] ascribed to Him; and the whole purport of\nthe book is the portrayal of the Divine guidance of history, and the very\nessence of its message that, despite all surface appearances, it is the\nhand of God that really directs all occurrences, and all things are\nhastening to the end of His determining.... It is the completeness of the\nDivine government to which the world is subject by the Lord of lords and\nKing of kings, the Ruler of the earth and King of the nations, whose\ncontrol of all the occurrences of time is in accordance with His holy\npurposes, that it is the supreme object of this book to portray.\u201d\u2014B. B.\nWARFIELD,\u2014in art. \u201cPredestination\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of the Bible_.\n\n\u201c_The Apocalypse is doctrinally the connecting link between the Synoptists\nand the Fourth Gospel._ It offers the characteristic thoughts of the\nFourth Gospel in that form of development which belongs to the earliest\napostolic age.... The points of connection between the Apocalypse and the\nGospel of St. John are far more numerous than are suggested by a first\ngeneral comparison. The main idea of both is the same. Both present a view\nof a supreme conflict between the powers of good and evil.... In both\nbooks alike Christ is the central figure. His victory is the end to which\nhistory and vision lead as their consummation. His Person and Work are the\nground of triumph; and of triumph through apparent failure. Both present\nthe abiding of God with man as the issue of Christ\u2019s work.\u201d\u2014BP.\nWESTCOTT,\u2014in _Introduction to John\u2019s Gospel, Bible Commentary_.\n\n\u201c_In Revelation_, as in John\u2019s Gospel and First Epistle, _the\nconsciousness of a world\u2010conflict, a world\u2010process, and a world\u2010triumph is\nmanifest_. The return of Jesus is contemplated in relation to the enlarged\nenvironment in which Christianity stood. Revelation testifies to the\nexistence of the hope with which Christianity had begun; but also to the\nfact that into that hope had centered the fuller conception of Christ and\nHis salvation which the apostles had taught, and the broadened vision of\nthe purpose of God which history had made clear. Yet it was still the same\nhope, \u2018Behold He cometh,\u2019 and the prayer was still the same, \u2018Come Lord\nJesus\u2019.\u201d\u2014GEORGE T. PURVES,\u2014in _The Apostolic Age_.\n\n\u201c_The fundamental conception of the book is_ neither human weakness upon\nthe one hand nor divine power upon the other, but _divine power victorious\nthrough apparent human weakness, life triumphant over death_.\u201d\u2014WILLIAM\nMILLIGAN,\u2014in _Discussions on the Apocalypse_.\n\n\u201cHowever long the conflict, _this book assures us of the ultimate triumph\nof the Lamb_. That figure suggests Incarnation in order to Redemption; and\nthe description of the New Jerusalem shows us Light and Life reigning\neternally because the Lamb is \u2018the lamp thereof\u2019.\u201d\u2014MATTHEW B. RIDDLE,\u2014in\nunpublished _Classroom Lectures_.\n\n\u201cSt John knew himself to be a prophet, and his writing to be a prophecy;\nthat he was commanded to consign his visions to a book was an assurance to\nhim that their purpose would not be fulfilled in one generation or two. He\nsees the book going down to posterity, and like the Deuteronomist he\nendeavors to guard it against interpolation and excision. As he writes the\nlast words upon the papyrus roll that lies upon his knee, the conviction\ndawns upon him that _the Revelation of Jesus Christ was given for the\nwarning and comfort of the whole church to the end of time_.\u201d\u2014HENRY B.\nSWETE,\u2014in _The Apocalypse of St. John_.\n\n\u201c_The author of this great book has bequeathed to mankind a_ \u03ba\u03c4\u1fc6\u03bc\u03b1 \u1f10\u03c2 \u03b1\u03b5\u03af,\n_an imperishable possession_, the worth of which lies in the splendid\nenergy of its faith, in the unfaltering certainty that God\u2019s own cause is\nat issue now and here and must ultimately prevail, and that the cause of\nJesus Christ is inseparably linked therewith, and the main aim of which,\nas is clear from every page, is to emphasize the overwhelming worth of\nthings spiritual as contrasted with things material, and in the next place\nto glorify martyrdom, to encourage the faithful to face death with\nconstancy, nay more, with rapturous joy.\u201d\u2014R. H. CHARLES,\u2014in _Studies in\nthe Apocalypse_.\n\nThe closing book of the New Testament with its prophetic outlook and\ndivine forecast, leaves us in the attitude of expectancy:\u2014\u201c*Looking for\nthat blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our\nSavior Jesus Christ*.\u201d\u2014THE EPISTLE TO TITUS, Ch. 2:13.\n\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nThe purpose of this volume is to present in concise form the general\nthought and meaning of the Book of Revelation, to give an analytic view of\nits contents, and to summarize the results of critical study. It is\nintended both as an aid to interpretation, and as a guide to the use of\nthe many valuable commentaries which are now accessible to the English\nreader. It is specially designed to meet the needs of the student in the\ntheological seminary or the modern Bible school, the busy pastor in his\nfield, the teacher of adult Bible classes, the Christian Association\nworker, and the general reader of the Bible. With this object in view it\nessays to provide in a direct and helpful form (1) the essential points of\nIntroduction; (2) an Analytic Study of the book which aims to discover its\nmeaning as a whole rather than to deal with it text by text; and (3) a\nbrief statement in a series of Appendices of some of the underlying\nconceptions which give color to its thought and enter into its literary\nstructure.\n\nThe increased impetus given to Biblical study by advanced scholarship in\nlate years has created a demand for a class of works that give the results\nattained by the masters of exegesis and critical research, without\nattempting to give the various steps by which these results have been\nreached. And it is one primary aim of this work, while attempting to give\na fresh statement of the teachings of the book, and to present such\nthoughts as have come to the Author in the course of extended study, at\nthe same time to give due consideration to the varying opinions of others,\nand for the most part to reproduce in the form which these have taken in\nhis own mind the best and most satisfactory explanations of the many\ndifficulties in the book which have hitherto been given by leading\nscholars and commentators. For the book has proved a fertile field for\nexpositors that has been widely even if not always well worked in the\npast, while in the last half\u2010century really substantial progress has been\nmade toward the general interpretation; and it may be confidently assumed\nthat any one who ignores these results has almost certainly nothing to\ncontribute to the solution of the real difficulties that confront us. In\nresponse to extended popular inquiry some excellent commentaries and\nexpository works on the Revelation have been prepared in late years for\nthe general reader. And it is in order to further meet this requirement of\nintelligent Bible study, and to contribute in some measure to what is\nbelieved to be one of the most common needs of the general student of\nScripture, _a comprehensive view of each book_, that the publication of\nthe present Studies in the Book of Revelation has been undertaken.\n\nIt is necessarily true that a work so largely poetical in its thought as\nthe Apocalypse, and appealing so much to the imagination, does not lend\nitself easily to logical analysis. Every such division, if exhaustive,\nmust be in a measure arbitrary. The main purpose in attempting it is to\npresent the principal ideas of the book in what is conceived to be their\nproper relation. And in this we need not assume that the particular\noutline which we adopt was formally in the mind of the writer. It is quite\nenough if we can be assured that the formative ideas were conceived of in\nsomewhat the same relation, and that the analysis we accept at least\nmeasurably represents the author\u2019s point of view. This form of statement\nenables us to grasp the contents of the book in their entirety and to\nretain them in memory.\n\nThe view presented in the Analysis and Notes of this volume is not\nintended to be controversial but interpretative. Hence other views of\nparticular passages have often not been stated, or are given only in foot\u2010\nnotes, and no special effort has been made to support the view given by\nany extended discussions, as that would lead us too far afield for the\npurpose in mind. For those who wish a wider view, references are given to\nwell\u2010known authorities. Much that might have been said has been left out\nfor the sake of brevity; for in this busy age few find time for extended\nstudy, and the great works on the Revelation often lie unread on the\nshelves. To reach the man of this generation the message must be short,\nclear, and decisive. And with this in view the chief aim is to show that\nthe general meaning of the Revelation can be clearly understood, whatever\ndifference of opinion there may be concerning the more difficult portions;\nand as a contribution toward this end to give in a direct form what the\nAuthor of the present work regards as the correct method of interpreting\nit. Other interpretations have been introduced where they serve to\nillustrate this main purpose, or have special force and afford additional\nlight, or have been widely accepted and have affected the course of\nopinion. The outline interpretation given in this work, while it does not\nfollow without deviation any particular view throughout or in every\nrespect\u2014for a blind acceptance of any one method of interpretation would\noften block the path to better knowledge, and perhaps cause us to miss the\nreal meaning\u2014yet it accepts the principles of the Symbolical or Spiritual\nSchool as affording in the main the best solution of the problems of\ninterpretation. The authorities cited in connection with any passage, when\nnot quoted, though they may differ somewhat in statement, will be found to\nhold in some form the view given in the analysis.\n\nIt is not without considerable hesitation, and a personal sense of the\nshortcomings of the present work, that it is now given to the public. It\nnecessarily contains much that is already familiar to the reader, and it\nshould be regarded as an effort to present in concise form and in one\u2019s\nown way what has been gathered through many years of patient study, and by\nconstant comparison with the works of the best commentators, together with\nsuch thoughts as have come to the Author in the course of his inquiry. And\nif thereby the reader should be in any measure led to a clearer\nunderstanding or a more careful study of this marvellously beautiful and\nstrangely eloquent message of Christ to his church which is contained in\nthe Book of Revelation\u2014the meaning of which has been too often\nmisunderstood by the Christian reader, or passed by as an insoluble\nmystery,\u2014it will be to the Author an abundant reward for his effort and a\ncause for personal gratitude to Almighty God.\n\nSTEPHEN A. HUNTER,\n\nPittsburgh, Pa.\n\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\n\n\n1. General Introduction.\n\n\nThe Revelation is the most difficult book to interpret of any in the New\nTestament canon. Its meaning is often involved in much obscurity, and the\ninterpretation of eminent scholars has differed so widely in the past that\nwe cannot always be sure, especially in the more difficult portions, that\nthe particular view which appears to us the more satisfactory or\nconvincing is certainly the correct one. This divergence of opinion has\nhad the unfortunate effect of disparaging the worth of the Apocalypse as a\npart of the Word of God in the mind of many earnest students, who have\ncome to regard its meaning as so obscure, and hidden in such hopeless\nperplexity, that any further attempt to interpret it is entirely\nfruitless. So much, too, has been written about the book which abounds in\nmanifest vagaries that men of sober mind have often been thereby deterred\nfrom forming or expressing any definite opinion concerning its teaching.\nIndeed it is difficult to say whether the Revelation has suffered more in\nthe hands of expositors by means of fanciful and mistaken interpretation\nof its true contents, or by the interpolation of ideas wholly foreign to\nits thought. But, however brought about, we have reached this strangely\nincongruous result, that what was originally designed to be the\n_revelation_ of mystery has become instead the _mystery_ of Revelation.\n\nThere is evident necessity, therefore, of particular care in forming our\nviews with regard to the meaning of many portions of the book, and also of\noften holding our opinions tentatively and subject to review, especially\nin our earlier studies, as probable rather than positive interpretations.\nWe should avoid alike the mistake of dogmatically asserting that the\nApocalypse cannot be understood at all, or of affirming that it can be\nfully understood.(2) And yet with this reservation in mind the book is\nstill a rich mine of spiritual wealth, much of which lies upon the\nsurface, while even its deeper mysteries abundantly reward our careful\nsearch. For we are not justified in casting aside any part of divine\nrevelation upon the plea of apparent obscurity; and to do so is\npractically to deny that it is a revelation. On the contrary we are under\nmanifest obligation to interpret the message of the Apocalypse so far as\nwe can, for to fail of this is to neglect the sure word of prophecy. And\neven though the original meaning of the visions to John\u2019s mind, and the\ninterpretation given them by those to whom they were first made known,\noftentimes cannot now be definitely determined,(3) yet the value of the\nbook does not depend solely upon that, however helpful it would be. The\nmatter of supreme importance for us is to apprehend aright the far\u2010seeing\nand ulterior purpose in the mind of the Spirit in giving the Revelation.\nAnd in search for this we should not allow our zeal for the original\ninterpretation to lead us to forget the significant lesson of the Old\nTestament, that the primary teaching of prophecy has often not voiced its\ndeeper message, that God\u2019s thought has mostly proved wider than man\u2019s\nfirst apprehension; so that in our reading of the prophets we are not\nlimited to the primary application, however important it may be, but\nshould strive rather to grasp the broader sweep and deeper thought made\nplain by the fuller development of the divine purpose\u2014the general meaning\nfor the whole church in all time rather than the particular meaning for\none age or generation. This consideration we will find of great value in\ndealing with the generic and flexile forms of imagery contained in the\nsymbols of the Apocalypse, where in attending to a multiplicity of detail\nthe deeper and broader thought may so easily be misapprehended or even\nentirely escape our notice.\n\nThe visions of the Apocalypse are generally conceded to belong to the\nlatter part of the first century, and manifestly relate in main portion to\nthe then future, whether near or far, of the church of Christ in the\nworld, for they pertain to a profoundly impressive prophetic experience.\nThe divine path of God\u2019s people among the nations is beheld in symbol,\ntype, and figure, ever leading on to victory through Jesus Christ his Son\nand our Lord; the church and the world are seen engaged in a multiform and\ndeadly conflict, while the consummation is depicted in the fall of evil\nand the ruin of nature wrought by sin; and the triumph of the holy is set\nforth in a vision of complete restoration to the divine presence amid the\nbeauty of a new world and the glories of the New Jerusalem\u2014an outcome\nnever once in doubt, for God rules through all and wins. And though in\nthis ever changing picture the conditions of the early church and of the\nfirst century are constantly reflected in every part, yet the\nrepresentative character of the whole may be clearly seen. Indeed one\ncannot but be impressed with the fine insight and spirit of reserve which\nis manifested by John throughout the book, in avoiding such explanations\nas might serve to narrow the visions to a purely local and temporary\nperspective, thereby evidencing that he had risen to a truly prophetic\nview, and that to his mind the visions belonged to a wider horizon as well\nas to the nearer limit of his own day. For whatever application or\nfulfilment these may have had, and surely _did_ have, in the period in\nwhich they were given, has not exhausted their meaning. To the ear that is\nopen to God\u2019s voice they have a lesson and significance that belong alike\nto the past, the present, and the future, a perennial freshness that time\ncan neither fade nor destroy, for they manifest the principles of the\ndivine government which abide for all the ages.\n\nIn the light of modern criticism the primary question to be decided is\nwhether we are dealing with an ordinary Jewish\u2010Christian apocalypse of\nsimilar value with a multitude of others in the past, and with no\nessentially deeper meaning or diviner message; or whether we have not in\nthe Apocalypse of John a true revelation, given in this literary form\nbecause of its particular suitability to the condition of the time, and\nits fitness for the needs of the generation that first received it. And\nthe answer to this question must be sought in the contents of the book\nitself as vindicated by the Christian conscience\u2014an answer that the church\nhas never been slow to make, and that never can be changed so long as the\nneeds of the human heart remain the same. We must therefore regard the\nfundamental question which lies back of that of interpretation, viz. the\ninspiration of the book itself, which alone can give it permanent value to\nthe Christian mind, as definitely settled by the clear message which it\ncontains for life, by the multitudinous voices of God which reverberate\nwithin it, and by the heaven\u2010born solace which it ever affords to tried\nand tempted men in the midst of the conflict of life. And we shall find\nthat the general meaning, so far from being hopelessly obscure, may be\nfairly understood by the attentive student and devout reader.\n\nThe obscurity of the Revelation arises both from its literary form and\nfrom the mystical character of its contents. The Apocalyptic form is so\nforeign to our way of thinking, and the mysticism is so peculiarly\nOriental and Jewish, that these are apt to perplex rather than enlighten\nus. The Apocalyptist, deeply absorbed in the later prophecies of the Old\nTestament, especially those of Daniel and Ezekiel, and his mind steeped in\nthe dreams and images of current Jewish apocalypses, found under the\ninfluence of the Spirit a fitting sphere for his prophetic fervor in a\nseries of strange symbolic visions such as belonged to the fashion of his\ntime. The chief symbolism throughout is that of the Old Testament,\nquickened and vivified by the thought of the New,\u2014for it is everywhere\nassumed that the mysteries of the former dispensation find their only\nadequate solution in the supreme and final testimony of Jesus the\nChrist,(4)\u2014but the atmosphere of the visions is that of Apocalyptic, which\ncuriously enough has contrived to cast its own peculiar glow upon all the\nOld Testament teachings and thus create a new symbolism out of the old.\nAnd even when many of the symbols are assumed to be drawn in their present\nform from apocalypses then current in the Jewish world but which are no\nlonger extant, and these to be derived in part from Babylonian and Persian\nsources, as held by one class of interpreters, they are yet found to have\nbecome so assimilated by the Jewish mind that they reflect the later\ndevelopment of Old Testament thought. These visions of the seer, like\nshadows cast upon the foreground of the future, depict in outline great\nfundamental truths or pervasive principles of the divine government that\nare, and are to be, manifested in multiple facts in the progress of the\nages. It is not the purpose of the visions to disclose the facts\nthemselves, for that belongs to the development of history, but rather to\nfurnish the means for interpreting the facts, when once they appear, by\nthe exalted standard of the divine ideals. There are, indeed, a few\ncardinal facts of the future that are kept well in the foreground, such as\nthe second coming of Christ, the triumph of God\u2019s kingdom, and the end of\nthe present world; but these belong to the content of previous revelation\nas well, and are not new or peculiar to this book. The content of the\nvisions is generic and not specific, and whenever we depart from broad\ngeneralization and attempt to enter into detail in our interpretation, we\ndestroy the beauty and force of the lesson conveyed, and wander into the\nfield of speculation concerning things that were never intended to be\nrevealed, if the analogy of all other prophecy can be relied upon as a\nguide.(5) For though the Apocalypse undoubtedly contains an element of\npredictive prophecy, yet such prophecy is not history written before its\ntime, but a divinely inspired and profoundly discriminative pre\u2010view of\ncertain dominant issues in the future that belong to the purpose of God,\nand are the resultant of well established principles of the divine\ngovernment\u2014issues that stand out to the prophet\u2019s illumined eye in bold\nrelief against the sky\u2010line like the headlands of a continent amid the\nsurrounding mists which envelop them.\n\nProphecy in this view is looked upon as much broader in its scope than the\n_fore_telling of things that are future. This element should be regarded\nas subordinate to the general purpose of prophecy, which is the\n_forth_telling of the mind of God.(6) And we should avoid that \u201cdwarfed\nsense of the word prophecy in modern speech\u201d which leads most readers (and\neven interpreters) to fasten upon a revelation of the secrets of the\nfuture. For it is evident that \u201cOld Testament history and prophecy make\nprominent another kind of revelation\u2014the unveiling of the ideal, as when\nthe pattern of things sacred was unfolded to Moses in the mount\u201d.(7) In\nthe true sense of prophecy it manifestly contains both these conceptions,\nviz. the Prophetico\u2010predictive, and the Prophetico\u2010ideal, which enter in\nvarying proportion into the great messages of old. But it is believed by\nmany of our best authorities, and it will be found in a careful study of\nthe book of Revelation, that the prophetic element is not chiefly\npredictive in the strict sense, and can for the most part be best\ninterpreted as the unveiling of the divine ideal which is being inwrought\nin the sphere of human life, or the manifestation of the divine purpose\nwhich is discovered as interpenetrating all the moral struggle and\napparent contradictions of earthly experience, and which is leading up to\nthe final victory; and only such glimpses of the future are given as serve\nto assure a better comprehension of this main idea.(8)\n\nThe two most obvious principles that pervade the book of Revelation and\nunderlie its ever changing scenes, are, _first_, God\u2019s method of\ngovernment in the world by the trial of his people and the judgment of the\nwicked; and, _second_, God\u2019s method of developing character in moral\nagents by moral conflict. Accepting these as in a measure interpretative\nof the ways of God with men, the Apocalypse approaches the standpoint of\nthe divine perspective, and traces the great lines of the divine purpose\nas they traverse the entire field of human history. It makes Christ\u2019s\nrelation to his people both in time and in eternity the ground of an\nexhaustive inquiry into the mysteries of earthly life, which aims not only\nto discover God in the trend of history but also to interpret God through\nhistory wrought out to its end. It affords glimpses of God\u2019s far reaching\nplan in the process of redemption, leading up to the final salvation of\nunnumbered multitudes; it finds the key to earth\u2019s long\u2010drawn\u2010out story of\nsin and suffering, of conflict and of death, in wider victory at larger\ncost; and it teaches us to look calmly out beyond the ebb and flow of\ntides and noons to the shoreless, timeless life that ever abides in the\npresence of God. To the heart of faith it speaks of an unwavering trust\nwhen days are dark and storms fill the sky; like a clear voice out of the\nnight it tells of the coming day; and with persuasive force its visions\nbring man face to face with God, his Creator, Redeemer, and Eternal\nFriend.\n\n\n\n\n2. The Title.\n\n\nThe Title used in the Authorized Version of our English Scriptures, and\nretained by the English Revisers, is \u201cThe Revelation of St. John the\nDivine,\u201d a name given to the book by the early church, though many of the\nolder manuscripts omit \u201cthe Divine\u201d. Our American Revisers read, \u201cThe\nRevelation of John;\u201d but the more correct title is the one that is\ncommonly used, and that is printed in the upper margin of the text, simply\n\u201cThe Revelation,\u201d i. e. the unveiling, or uncovering [viz. of the mystery\nof the divine purpose and method in human life and history]\u2014the opening\nwords of the book itself\u2014or, if preferred, the original Greek name, \u201cThe\nApocalypse\u201d,(9) which perhaps should have been retained without\ntranslation as in the Douay Version, but of which \u201cThe Revelation\u201d is the\nexact equivalent. The phrase \u201cof St. John\u201d, or \u201cof John\u201d, may properly be\nomitted because of its ambiguity; for the book is declared in its opening\nsentence to be \u201cthe Revelation of Jesus Christ\u201d, i. e. a revelation of or\nfrom Jesus Christ, and it is only in a secondary sense \u201cthe Revelation of\nJohn\u201d, i. e. a revelation made to and recorded by John. The occasion for\nthe use of this title, \u201cThe Revelation of St. John\u201d, in the first\ncenturies was in order to distinguish the canonical Apocalypse from many\nothers then in circulation, but this necessity has long since ceased to\nexist. For us it stands alone, it is _the_ Apocalypse, the Revelation.\n\n\n\n\n3. The Author.\n\n\nThat the Author of the Revelation was named John we have no reason to\ndoubt, if we believe the statements of the book itself, for this is\ndistinctly affirmed three different times.(10) He is also further\ndescribed in one form of the title as \u201cthe Divine,\u201d i. e. the one who\ndiscoursed about God, or the theologian. This latter designation, though\nof uncertain origin and date, and omitted by the American Revisers as\nwithout sufficient support, is yet undoubtedly as old as the latter part\nof the third century(11) while it may be much older, and has therefore\nsome claim to traditional authority. The title, however, in any form is\nsubsequent to the book itself. The statements of the Author concerning\nhimself and his relations to the church in Asia, appear to the general\nreader to be decisive, and to indicate with sufficient clearness that the\nwriter was none other than John the son of Zebedee, the apostle whom Jesus\nloved, though this is not the view of the majority of the later critics.\nSome consider it to be the work of another John known to tradition as the\nPresbyter;(12) others attribute it to an unknown author of that name, or\nto some one writing under that name. But notwithstanding the frequency and\npositiveness with which the Apostolic Authorship and the Unity of the Book\nhave been called in question during the last half century, the entire\nresults of critical research may with some confidence be said not to have\ndiscredited either of them.(13)\n\nThe considerations which support the Apostolic Authorship are chiefly the\nfollowing:\u2014(1) the evidence of early Christian tradition imbedded in\nhistory is practically unanimous in its favor, and the book was accepted\nas the Apostle\u2019s without question by the church in Asia where it\noriginated: (2) the internal evidence is to most minds convincing and even\ndecisive, viz. (a) the Author declares himself to be John, and addresses\nthe churches in Asia as their \u201cbrother, and partaker in tribulation,\u201d and\nthere is no satisfactory historical evidence of any other John in Asia,\nexcept the Apostle, of sufficient standing and influence to have spoken to\nthe churches with the authority of a prophet;(14) (b) there is a deep and\nessential similarity of thought, diction, and doctrine in the Apocalypse\nand in John\u2019s Gospel and Epistles which outweighs all differences of\nlanguage, grammar, and style that appear upon the surface; (c) there is an\nundercurrent \u201ctragic tone\u201d found in the Apocalypse, such as is manifest in\nall of John\u2019s writings, especially when he deals with the sad and terrible\nphases of human life and character, and this serves to point toward the\nApostle as the author.\n\nThe grounds upon which the Apostolic Authorship is denied are:\u2014(1) the\ngeneral inconclusiveness of tradition, even though in this case the\nevidence is admitted to be particularly strong: (2) the pseudonymity of\nall other apocalypses, with the apparent exception of \u201cThe Shepherd of\nHermas\u201d, and hence the probability that this in a similar way may have\nbeen written under the assumed name of John in order to give it\nacceptance:(15) (3) the marked differences observable between the\nApocalypse and John\u2019s Gospel and Epistles, viz. (a) the Greek of the\nApocalypse is full of striking peculiarities, of solecisms, and of\nHebraisms, quite at variance with the purer style of the other Johannine\nwritings;(16) (b) the spirit of the Apocalypse as revealed in its ideas,\nterms, tone, and temper, differs widely from that of the Gospel and\nEpistles. These differences, however, it should be noted, were recognized\nand their force as objections to a common authorship was felt as early as\nthe time of Dionysius (circ. A. D. 260), for they are apparent to every\ncareful student of the Greek text; but they may be accounted for in a good\ndegree by the difference of occasion, purpose, and theme, as well as of\nform and structure incident to the choice of a literary style that has\ndefinite and necessary limitations. The differences have also been further\naccounted for on the part of some by accepting the earlier date of the\nApocalypse, which in that case is assigned to the period just preceding\nthe fall of Jerusalem. The peculiarities of language are in this view\nattributable to an imperfect knowledge of Greek, which was later overcome\nby John\u2019s long residence in Ephesus, while the apocalyptic form and\ngeneral contents are held to indicate an earlier stage of Christian\nthought.(17) On the other hand it has been efficiently maintained,\nfavoring the later date, that the differences are mainly due to\npsychological effects wrought by old age in the mind of John, whose mental\nactivities reverted to the familiar thought\u2010forms and apocalyptic\nconceptions of his youth, the Greek he used being simply a modified\ntranslation of Hebrew thought, while the Christological conceptions of the\nApocalypse are manifestly among the most advanced in the New\nTestament.(18) In any case it will be seen that the reasons given under\n(1) and (2) have little force apart from the question of internal\nevidence, and are at most only inferences, while upon the other hand the\ndivergent qualities given under (3), forceful as they are, cannot be\nassumed as without parallel in the history of literature. It has been\npointed out that the difference in style between Carlyle\u2019s earlier and\nlater productions, as well as those found in the works of Milton, Watts,\nBurke, and Wordsworth, written at different periods in their lives, is\nquite as marked as that of the writings in question.(19) And we must not\nleave out of view the possibility that John, if at an advanced age, may\nhave used one of his disciples as a collaborator, which would necessarily\nmodify both the language and style of the work produced. So that after all\nhas been said, it may be accepted as the concurrent judgment of the\nmajority of interpreters,\u2014the advanced critics being excepted,\u2014that as\ngreat or greater difficulties are met in denying the Apostolic Authorship\nas in accepting it. For notwithstanding the confident assertion of most of\nthe later critics that the Apocalypse was not written by the Apostle, yet\nindications are not lacking in some quarters now, influenced perhaps by\nthe really cogent arguments so well stated by the decadent school of Baur,\nof a return in opinion to the recognition of the Johannine authorship as\nin some sense at least undeniable, though foreign elements are conceived\nto enter into it.(20) It has indeed, not infrequently been held, among\nthose who deny that the Apostle was the author of the Fourth Gospel, that\nhe wrote the Apocalypse; but still more commonly it is accepted that the\nwork belongs to the \u201cso\u2010called Johannine writings\u201d, and originated in the\nsame circle at Ephesus to which these writings are now attributed by\nadvanced critics,(21) leaving the personal authorship more or less\nindefinite. The question of authorship, however, is a subordinate one, for\nthe book maintains its own message, and it should be dealt with purely as\na subject of historical inquiry and not one of dogmatic importance, in the\ninterest of correctness rather than of traditional opinion.\n\n\n\n\n4. The Unity.\n\n\nThe question of Unity is one of modern literary criticism. The view now\ngenerally accepted that Jewish apocalypses, as we find them, are often of\ncomposite origin, representing an original writing to which various\nadditions have been subsequently made by editors and redactors,(22) has\nhad its influence upon the judgment formed by critics concerning the\nApocalypse of John. The present tendency of critical investigation is to\nconsider the book as a composite structure, and to direct its effort\ntoward searching out the various sources from which it is supposed to be\nderived, and determining what parts of the book are original, as well as\nin pointing out various minor passages that are regarded as drawn from\nother sources, or are the work of a later hand. This tendency has been\ncarried to such an extreme that the results are largely theoretical and\ninconclusive, depending upon the personal taste of the critic and having\nlittle force for other minds. The grounds upon which the unity of the book\nhas been disputed are:\u2014(1) Frequent breaks in continuity which make it\ndifficult or impossible to trace the connection of thought: (2) a lack of\nharmony in its various conceptions that is more or less incongruous, and\nthat is apparently inconsistent with its being the work of one author: (3)\nan apparent indication in various parts of the book of different dates of\nwriting\u2014see remarks in the section on Date. All of these reasons, however,\nif taken together, and it be granted that they are well\u2010founded, are yet\ninsufficient to establish a diversity of authorship. The most that can be\nsaid is that they suggest it. For it should be remembered that logical\nsequence is not a quality of Apocalyptic thought; and also that there is\nnot even an approximate agreement, as yet, among advanced scholars as to\nthe character or extent of the material regarded as drawn from other\nsources.\n\nIn favor of its Unity we find:\u2014(1) a uniformity of style throughout which\nis scarcely possible in the combined product of different authors without\nsuch redaction as is equivalent to authorship: (2) an elaborate literary\nstructure quite incompatible with the existence of more than one\nauthor\u2014see section on Structure: (3) an essential Unity, whatever the\nextent to which elements of Jewish apocalyptic may have been made use of\nin its composition, which appeals to the literary judgment in a way that\nis both forcible and convincing, for the personality of the author is\ninterwoven in every fibre of its frame. Though the present trend of\ncritical opinion is largely against the Unity of the book in the general\nsense of the term, yet its essential unity is so manifest that it is\ncommonly conceded\u2014\u201cits inner unity is the foundation of all more recent\nworks on the Apocalypse\u201d.(23) This is accounted for on the part of those\nwho accept a composite origin by attributing its unification to the final\neditor, redactor, or author, a judgment that fails to carry conviction\nwith it for those who approach the question from the broader standpoint of\nliterary composition in general, instead of the narrower one of the\napocalyptic writings. The later critical views have, however, not yet\nreached a conclusive stage, and indeed in the face of so great diversity\nof judgment, can scarcely be said to have assumed a consistent form;\nthough it may be confidently predicated that no hypothesis of composite\norigin is ever likely to command general assent in the case of a book\nmarked by such a definite unity of style and plan. The effort to discover\nin it an original Jewish apocalypse which has been wrought over by\nChristian editors into its present form,(24) or to reconstruct the various\nsources, Jewish or Christian, from which it has been derived,(25) may well\nbe said to have been \u201cthoroughly worked out\u201d, and to have apparently\nfailed, though the labors of the critics have added largely to our\nknowledge of Apocalyptic, and contributed not a little to a better\nunderstanding of the book. The view now in the ascendant admits one\nauthor, but attributes various portions of greater or less extent to a\ncommon stock of Jewish, or Jewish\u2010Christian, apocalyptic fragments,\ncurrent at that time, which have been appropriated from and used in its\ncomposition.(26) This, to the more conservative Christian mind, involves\nan apparent denial of its true unity, and proceeds upon a theory of its\norigin that is scarcely consistent with its effective inspiration. But it\nfails to be conclusive on other grounds, for upon careful examination it\nmust become more and more apparent to the thoughtful student of Scripture\nand apocalyptic that this view does not accord with the author\u2019s use of\nhis materials, so far as we have any knowledge of their source. For\nalthough he draws largely from the thought and figures of the prophets,\nand uses freely the general form of imagery found in extant Jewish\napocalypses, yet everything has been transmuted in the crucible of his own\nvivid imagination into new combinations, and there is not a single\ninstance in which he interpolates an entire passage from any known\nauthor\u2014indeed there are no quotations at all, in the strict sense, found\nin the Apocalypse, but only allusions, reminiscences, and echoes, literary\ndevices which reflect the thought without reproducing the form\u2014and it is\ncertainly an exceptional assumption that he interpolates only from authors\nwhose works are now lost, or from sources furnished solely by\ntradition.(27) The impressions of unity are entirely too strong to be\ndissipated by visionary and purely theoretical views.\n\nA modified form of the Apocalyptic\u2010Traditional view, advanced by some late\nwriters,(28) indicates a healthful reaction from the piecemeal theories of\nthe earlier source\u2010criticism, and affords valuable suggestion for further\nstudy\u2014whether, indeed, we can follow them or not in finding evidence of\nthe introduction of a limited number of fragments of earlier origin,\u2014viz.\nthat the author drew freely from a mass of apocalyptic ideas and forms, or\n\u201capocalyptic conventions\u201d as they have been called, which were widely\ncurrent in Jewish circles, and with which his own mind was richly stored;\nand that this suggestive material was wrought over in his mental processes\nand used like that from the Old Testament, with which it was closely\nallied, as a framework for expressing the new and higher Christian thought\npeculiar to his message, the old form being constantly adapted to new\nmeanings. The origin or source of these forms is chiefly a matter of\ntheory; but the probability of their use is the more practical side of the\nproblem. It will be seen that this view would account for all that the\ntheory of diverse origin does without doing violence to the real unity of\nthe book;(29) and it does not affect the question of the inspiration or\nreality of the visions, for the thought of the seer necessarily took form\nfrom his own mental furnishing, and his imagination, though quickened by\nthe prophetic ecstasy, was not essentially altered in its mode of\noperation. But, with it all, let us not fail to apprehend that these\nquestions pertaining to the method used in the composition of the\nApocalypse, and to the introduction of foreign elements into its literary\nstructure, which so largely occupy the minds of critical scholars in the\npresent day, are, after all, mainly secondary to the larger question. In\nit has God spoken? And if so, what are the spiritual lessons of the book\nfor the devout Christian mind and heart?\n\n\n\n\n5. The Date.\n\n\nTwo different Dates of authorship have been commonly maintained by\ndifferent authorities, viz. either about A. D. 69 under one of Nero\u2019s\nimmediate successors, Galba or Vespasian; or about A. D. 96 under\nDomitian. Many modern critics have accepted the earlier date, though the\nmajority of commentators favor the later and traditional one. The evidence\ncannot be considered as decisive for either, but the preponderance seems\nto be in favor of the later date.(30) The earlier date, though accepted by\nthe majority of critics a score and more years ago, is not now in such\nfavor. The influence of present criticism, which is chiefly taken up with\ndiscussion of the sources from which the book is assumed to be derived,\nhas produced a marked drift in opinion toward the acceptance of a date\nnear the close of the first century (the traditional view) as the time of\ncomposition, or at least the period of final editing.(31) This view,\nthough accepting in a sense one author, yet holds that the contents of the\nbook indicate different dates of writing, and that it is made up of\nvisions of different origin, and composed at different times, which have\nbeen subsequently formed into one consistent whole(32)\u2014a conclusion that\nwould require something more than a theory to sustain it. The exact date,\nhowever, is not of any great importance, as the difference does not\nmaterially affect the interpretation, especially if we accept the symbolic\nview of the purpose and teaching of the book; for though the date fixed\nupon does affect somewhat the historical situation, and hence the\nimmediate reference, it does not affect the larger meaning which belongs\nto all time.\n\nThe indications of the Earlier Date that usually obtain are:\u2014(1) the\nlinguistic peculiarities already referred to under the head of Unity,\nwhich are considered by many to indicate an earlier period in John\u2019s life\nand thought when he was still Hebraistic in method: (2) the historical\nallusions in the book that seem to favor the earlier date, and which some\nhave thought are even decisive, viz. (a) the condition of the churches in\nAsia as set forth in the Seven Epistles, which fairly accords with what is\nknown of the period of Nero\u2019s reign and shortly thereafter; (b) the\nreferences to persecution, war, earthquake, famine, and pestilence, which\nfind a ready explanation in current events of the earlier date;(33) (c)\nthe measurement of the temple directed in ch. 11:1f., which appears to\nindicate that it was still standing; (d) the apparently veiled allusions\nto Nero found in the description of the Wild Beast in chs. 13 and 17,\nwhich, according to a widely accepted interpretation, point to a period\nshortly after his death, when he was still a prominent figure in the\npublic mind.\n\nFor the Later Date the chief considerations are:\u2014(1) the early and uniform\ntradition concerning the origin of the book, viz. that it was written by\nthe Apostle John near the end of the reign of Domitian (see the section on\nCanonicity): (2) the historical situation described and implied, which as\na whole is considered by most authorities as more suitable to and more\nfully met by the later than the earlier date, viz. (a) the churches in\nAsia, as indicated in the Seven Epistles, are in a more highly developed\ncondition than is likely to have been attained at so early a period as the\nclose of the sixth decade of the Christian era, and the omission of any\nreference to the Apostle Paul as their founder within a quarter\u2010century of\ntheir establishment would be entirely unaccountable; (b) the indications\nof persecution are better suited to the time of Domitian than that of\nNero,(34) while the references to war, famine, and pestilence are equally\napplicable to all the latter part of the first century; (c) the advanced\nstage of the conflict between Christianity and the state religion of Rome,\nshown in the worship of the Beast and the antagonism of Babylon, is a\nstrong indication of the later date;(35) (d) the assumed allusions to\nNero, and to the temple as still standing, depend in each case upon a\nparticular interpretation, and rest upon no certain foundation,\u2014or\nadmitting an earlier date for this section, it is regarded as having been\ninserted later,(36) which is a critical guess of uncertain value. This\nseems to leave the balance of evidence upon the side of the later date,\nthough the best authorities have formerly been nearly equally divided.\n\n\n\n\n6. The Place.\n\n\nThe Revelation was given in Patmos, one of the group of the Sporades, a\nsmall, rocky, and irregularly shaped island, some ten miles long by five\nmiles wide, lying in the \u00c6gean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor, about\nsixty miles from Ephesus and thirty\u2010five miles from Miletus,(37) to which\nJohn was banished \u201cfor the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus\u201d.\nAccording to tradition offenders of rank were banished to this island\nunder the Roman Empire to work in the mines and marble quarries; and the\nApostle John perhaps shared in this harsh lot during his imprisonment, as\nasserted by Victorinus in his commentary, the earliest work on the\nApocalypse, written toward the close of the third century. The chief\nfeature of the modern island is the Monastery of St. John, founded in A.\nD. 1088, which lies a mile and a half south of La Scala, the landing\nplace; while halfway up the hillside a grotto, known as the cave of the\nApocalypse, is pointed out as the traditional place where the visions of\nthe book were seen. The natural scenery of the island is rugged and the\nview of the sea and of the neighboring islands very fine, which may have\ncontributed somewhat to the imagery of the book, as has been suggested by\ndifferent travelers.(38) The content of the visions was doubtless\ncommitted to writing soon afterward, and probably while John was still a\nprisoner in Patmos, though the general work of authorship may have been\ndone later at Ephesus.(39)\n\n\n\n\n7. The Canonicity.\n\n\nThe right of the Book of Revelation to a place in the New Testament Canon\nis well attested both historically and by internal evidence. The\nhistorical evidence is especially complete, and is regarded by some as\nstronger than that of any other book in the New Testament:(40) the\nobjections have all arisen from the internal evidence, which has been\ndifferently estimated by different minds.\n\nThe Historical Evidence covers the question both of authorship and of\ncanonicity,\u2014for these cannot well be separated, since the apostolic\nauthorship carried with it for the early church the canonicity also\u2014and it\nmay be briefly stated as follows, viz:\u2014\n\n(1) Papias (circ. A. D. 130). Bishop of Hierapolis, \u201cthe hearer of John\u201d,\nand \u201cthe companion of Polycarp\u201d, regarded it as authoritative, and is the\nfirst to attest it, though he does not affirm its apostolicity. We are\nindebted for his testimony to Andreas of Cappadocia (about the end of the\nfifth century), who refers to Papias along with Iren\u00e6us and others, and\nquotes from a work by Papias his comment on Rev. 12:7\u20109. In this early\nwitness of its canonicity we can scarcely conceive of Papias being\nmistaken, and his testimony is of great value.\n\n(2) Justin Martyr (circ. A. D. 140) says it was written by \u201ca certain man\nwhose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ\u201d. This testimony is\nwithin fifty years of the later date assigned to the book, and seventy\u2010\nfive years of the earlier one, and is therefore of special importance; and\nthere is no hesitancy in affirming that the author was \u201cone of the\napostles of Christ\u201d.\n\n(3) According to Eusebius, Melito, Bp. of Sardis (circ. A. D. 170), wrote\na lost work on \u201cthe Revelation of John\u201d; also two other bishops,\nTheophilus of Antioch, and Appolonius of Ephesus (both before the close of\nthe second century), cited from it in their writings.\n\n(4) In a letter from the churches of Lyons and Vienne (circ. A. D. 177)\nthe Revelation is cited, and is described as \u201csacred Scripture\u201d.\n\n(5) Iren\u00e6us (circ. A. D. 180) defends its apostolic authority, and asserts\nfrequently and positively that the Apocalypse was written by \u201cJohn, a\ndisciple of the Lord\u201d.\n\n(6) Clement of Alexandria (circ. A. D. 200) refers to the four and twenty\nelders with an explanatory clause, \u201cas John says in the Apocalypse\u201d.\n\n(7) Tertullian (circ. A. D. 200) cites it frequently, ascribing it to John\nthe Apostle, and attests its recognition in Africa.\n\n(8) The Canon of Muratori (circ. 200) includes it without question, and\nsays, \u201cJohn in the Apocalypse, though he writes to the Seven Churches, yet\nsays to all, &c,\u201d and the context shows that the reference is to the\nApostle.\n\n(9) Hippolytus (circ. A. D. 210) wrote on \u201cthe Gospel and Apocalypse of\nJohn\u201d; and he also cites the Apocalypse as a Scripture authority against\nCaius. After this time its canonicity was regarded as established by the\nWestern Church.\n\n(10) Origen (circ. A. D. 250), the pupil of Clement of Alexandria, and the\nfirst textual critic of the New Testament, whose knowledge of the opinion\nand usage in different parts of the church was very wide, knows of no\ndoubts concerning the Apocalypse, but quotes it as the recognized\ncomposition of the Apostle and Evangelist.\n\nThe authority of the Apocalypse was not, however, destined to remain\nunquestioned, though its apostolic authorship and canonical right were\npractically unchallenged until toward the end of the second century\u2014and in\nfact it was generally received by the church until the middle of the third\ncentury\u2014but subsequently both of these were questioned, viz:\u2014\n\n(1) Marcion, the so\u2010called \u201cHeretic\u201d (circ. A. D. 150), rejected it in\nforming his Canon because of its apparently Jewish character, and not\nbecause he did not regard it as genuine. This, however, did not represent\na church view, and had little influence on opinion outside of his own\nsect.\n\n(2) Dionysius of Alexandria (circ. A. D. 247) argues that it is not by the\nApostle, though he does not reject the book. With him the question is\nmainly one of authorship, and not of canonicity.\n\n(3) Eusebius (circ. A. D. 270) follows the opinion of Dionysius and may be\nregarded as \u201cwavering\u201d, for he cites much in its favor. After Eusebius,\nhowever, opposition to it became general in the Syro\u2010Palestinian Church,\nand it does not appear in the Peshito Version, though St Ephraim Syrus,\nthe chief father of the Syrian Church, cites it and ascribes it to the\nApostle John.\n\n(4) Cyril of Jerusalem (circ. A. D. 386) omits the Apocalypse from his\nlist of the canonical books of the New Testament.\n\n(5) In the Eastern Church the book was questioned on dogmatic grounds\nconnected with the Millenarian controversy, and it was omitted from the\nCanon by the Council of Laodicea (circ. A. D. 360).\n\n(6) Finally, however, in deference to the strong testimony of the Western\nChurch, and influenced somewhat, no doubt, by the internal evidence of the\nbook itself, it was authoritatively accepted and universally recognized by\nthe church at large.\n\nThe Internal Evidence for the canonicity of the book, apart from the\ndifficulties discussed under the head of Unity, is quite clear and\nsatisfying and is practically irrefutable, for the disputed questions of\nauthorship and date are not of such character as to affect its canonicity.\nThis evidence may be briefly stated as follows, viz:\u2014\n\n(1) The historical situation and references correspond to the time in\nwhich the book claims to have been written, the latter half of the first\ncentury, and are fully sustained by contemporaneous history.\n\n(2) The literary form and diction are each suitable to the period and\nauthorship to which the book is ascribed.\n\n(3) The doctrinal teachings are fully and distinctively Christian, and are\nsuch as we would expect in a work of the period, written by inspiration\nfor the whole church, viz:\u2014(a) the Christianity it bears witness to has\nescaped from the particularism of Jewish thought into the broad\ncatholicity of the Pauline Epistles; (b) Christ is presented as the divine\natoning Lamb seated in the midst of the throne, co\u2010equal with the Father;\n(c) the personality of the Holy Spirit is recognized, and his illuminative\nwork illustrated; (d) the chief duties of the Christian life are those\npresented in the Gospels, faith, witness, and purity, while the reward of\novercoming is set forth in terms of apostolic hope; and (e) the entire\ncontents of the book, so widely different from the non\u2010canonical\nliterature, appeal to the instincts of the Christian heart now as in the\nfirst generation, and verify themselves afresh to the Christian\nconsciousness in such a forceful and convincing way that this goes far to\novercome any apparent objections to its canonical authority based upon\nsubjective judgments of another class. In fact the impartial verdict of\ncareful investigation serves to confirm the opinion that the Apocalypse is\nrightfully received on ample and concurrent testimony both of Historical\nand Internal Evidence as a part of sacred Scripture by the whole church\nthroughout the world.\n\n\n\n\n8. The Form.\n\n\nThe Book consists of a series of strange and impressive symbolic visions\nwhich contrast present and historic conditions of trial and suffering in\nthe church and in the world with future and prophetic conditions of\ntriumph and reward for the holy and of wrath and punishment for the\nsinful. It is an interpretative view of the divine path and plan of the\ncenturies that is evidently given for the comfort and help of God\u2019s\nchildren in the midst of trial and distress. Its Literary Form is marked\nand significant, and belongs to that highly figurative style of late\nJewish and early Christian writings which is known as the Apocalyptic\nLiterature.(41) And though John must often have felt himself hampered and\nimpeded by the fanciful and more or less unreal character of this literary\nform, yet it doubtless met more fully than any other the conditions of the\ntime, and afforded an adequate method of reaching the devout Christian\nmind of that generation. This literature is distinguished both by its\npeculiar style and by the exceptional range of its thought, and may be\ndescribed as consisting of all of that particular class of the Apocryphal\nwritings which are couched in mystic symbols and figures, and which\nattempt to give an account of hidden things miraculously disclosed,\nespecially those pertaining to the other world and to the closing events\nof human history. The word Apocalyptic in its present sense belongs to\nrecent usage, being introduced by the modern critical school as a generic\nterm to designate these writings as a distinct department of the\nApocryphal books, and also to denote the literary style or art\u2010form in\nwhich they are cast. The use of the word Apocalypse to designate the\nwritings or books now known by that name (as the _Apocalypse of Baruch_,\nand others) is undoubtedly very old, though it did not apparently begin\nbefore the end of the first century, and seems to have taken rise from the\ncommon use of the title \u201cThe Apocalypse of John\u201d in Christian circles to\ndesignate the Revelation, from which the word came to be applied to all\nwritings of a similar class. Every Apocalypse is thus an example of\nApocalyptic; but, owing to the late introduction of the latter term as now\nused, most dictionaries do not give an adequate definition.(42)\n\nThe unique symbolism of these writings constitutes their most striking and\ncharacteristic feature; and it is this uniform use of cryptic symbols\ninstead of ordinary figures of speech that invests the Apocalypse of John\nwith its peculiar charm, and at the same time creates the special problems\nof its interpretation. A symbol may be defined as a conventional objective\nform chosen to represent something else, often not otherwise capable of\nportraiture, because of some real or fancied resemblance that appeals to\nthe mind; an ideal representation couched in sensuous form that embodies\none or more of the prominent features of its subject, and that comes to\nrepresent a fixed conception in the world of fancy, a lower and material\nsign being used to represent a higher and abstract idea. The use of\nsymbols of some sort is instinctive and universal, and grows out of a\nnatural effort of the mind to clothe its ideas in forms that give free\nscope to the imagination. But the peculiar nature of the symbols and the\nprofusion of their use in the Apocalyptic literature, serve to mark it as\nseparate from all other literary forms. Oriental symbols, too, are so\nunfamiliar and oftentimes so incongruous to our minds, such as the Dragon,\nthe Scarlet Beast, the Two\u2010horned Beast, and even the Cherubim, that we\nperhaps fail to realize how much they meant to people of a primitive\ncivilization who were possessed of a vivid imagination without scientific\nprecision of thought. This difference in the instinctive appreciation of\nthe nature and value of symbols, together with the wide possibilities of\nmeaning that are apparently inherent in the symbols used in the\nApocalypse, has always given room for the fertile fancy of interpreters.\nBut the later study of the Apocalyptic writings as a class has made it\nplain that this effort was largely misspent, and has led to more\ndiscriminating views of the meaning and use of symbols as there found, and\nto their limitation by established usage, where such is known to have\nexisted. For while the growth of recognized symbols is necessarily slow,\nand their origin often impossible to trace yet when they have once been\nformed, and have come to possess an established meaning in the public\nmind, they exhibit a remarkable persistence; and though their meaning may\nbe somewhat modified by subsequent use and by particular application, yet\nit can scarcely suffer sudden and radical change. And let us remember that\nthe symbols, metaphors, and other figures found in the Revelation are not\npurely literary: they have had a history and have acquired a recognized\nand conventional meaning. We have, therefore, an available guide to the\ninterpretation of the symbols in the book furnished by their use not only\nin the Old Testament, in which by former interpreters they were mainly\nsought, but especially in Jewish apocalypses, which give the current\nmeaning of many of them at the time when this book was written, a sense\nwhich could not well have been departed from to any great extent without\nmaking their meaning wholly unintelligible. And the more clearly we\napprehend this fact, the more constantly we apply it in our\ninterpretation, the more likely are we to arrive at the meaning\nintended.(43) For while the Western mind revolts against the oftime\nobscurity of Apocalyptic symbols, yet we not infrequently recur to the\nsame method of illustration. For instance, a good example of the present\nday use of symbols, aided by illustrative skill, is found in such a\ncartoon as \u201cThe Modern Juggernaut\u201d that appeared a few years ago, in which\nthe wheeled car of India was transformed into a huge wine bottle full of\nintoxicating drink that rolls along its way, crushing out the lives of\nthousands of miserable victims, while the fierce dogs of War, Famine, and\nPestilence have under its malign influence slipped their leash and go\nforth to prey upon men.(44) This symbolism in some measure parallels that\nof the Scarlet Beast in the Revelation, and shows how a great destructive\nforce operating in the world may be presented to many minds in an\nobjective form much more effectively than by any abstract verbal\nstatement. Like a parable an apocalypse flings a great truth across our\npath, instinct with the touch of spiritual life.\n\nThe revelation made to John doubtless took the Apocalyptic form because it\nwas the prevailing literary method of that time for the treatment of the\ntheme dealt with by his prophecy, and its constructive symbolism already\nfilled and colored his thought. But notwithstanding that it is cast in a\nJewish mould, the Christian thought everywhere triumphs over the Jewish\nform. The line of thought is limited to the peculiar range of Apocalyptic\nsubjects, and is found to be closely related to that of our Lord\u2019s\ndiscourse upon the last things (the so\u2010called \u201clittle apocalypse\u201d of our\nLord in Mat. 24), though it should not be regarded as formally an\namplification of that discourse, or as chiefly or wholly determined in\ncontent by it.(45) The prophetic mood is manifest in every part of the\nbook, and the exalted mental state of the writer is sustained throughout\nafter the manner of a rhapsody, in the structure and movement of which all\nliterary forms are in a measure fused together.(46) Indeed by a deeper\nstudy of this unique work we come to feel as though in it \u201cwe touch the\nliving soul of Asiatic Christendom\u201d.\n\nIt remains to be said that while we class the Apocalypse of John with\nJewish apocalypses as to literary form, yet it so manifestly rises above\nits class both in method and content that it is universally accorded the\nfirst place among Apocalyptic writings, and fully establishes its claim to\na place among the inspired books of Scripture by reason of the penetrative\nprophetic insight which it everywhere displays in dealing with the\ngreatest, the most central, and the most mysterious theme in the whole\nsphere of Christian thought.\n\n\n\n\n9. The Theme.\n\n\nThe Theme of the Revelation, stated in its broadest terms, is Christ and\nthe Church through Time to Eternity; the mystery of God in human life and\nhistory made manifest through the disclosure of the divine redemptive plan\nbecoming effective and triumphant.(47) The theme we assign to the\nRevelation will, of course, be determined largely by our view of its\ncontents. Many interpret it to be Jerusalem, Rome, and the End, limiting\nits outlook to the horizon of the early church; others make it the Course\nof History, or the Future Path of the Church in the World; still others\naffirm it to be the Last Things, or the Second Coming of Christ. But the\nwider view is the truer one, which includes many phases of the kingdom,\nand the theme is properly interpreted as Christ and the Church here and\nhereafter, or Redemption in its present and future relation to Human Life.\nThis theme is wrought out in prophetic vision by an evolving drama that\nmoves forward in multiple and progressive cycles of trial and triumph, of\nconflict and victory, ever advancing toward the complete and final\nconsummation, when righteousness shall win, sin be punished, and the\nredeemed be restored to the immediate presence of God; and whereby the\ndivine plan shall be abundantly vindicated notwithstanding all apparent\nanomalies, and seeming contradictions, and temporary reverses, for it is\nconfidently affirmed that the night of sin shall ultimately pass away, and\nthe day dawn at last in which \u201cthe glory of God and of the Lamb shall be\nthe light thereof\u201d; and \u201cHe that sitteth on the throne shall spread his\ntabernacle over them ... that come out of great tribulation\u201d. Thus the\nbook gives answer to the deep call of the soul for some sign concerning\nthe future that shall point the path of faith and cheer the heart for\nservice; and the answer is abundantly satisfying, for those who interpret\nthe theme aright. Occupied with such a subject of thought it finds its\nproper place at the end of the inspired volume; it forms a fitting close\nfor the entire line of prophetic voices; and it binds the long succession\nof books into an unbroken unity.(48) With illimitable sweep its visions\nlook backward through time and forward into eternity, downward on earth\u2019s\nstruggles and upward upon heaven\u2019s victory, inward to the soul\u2019s conflicts\nand outward to God\u2019s eternal peace, while through it all there rings out\nthe one transcendent note, Christ reigns but to triumph.\n\n\n\n\n10. The Occasion.\n\n\nThe conditions which gave Occasion for this sole Apocalyptic book of the\nNew Testament have left their impress on its form and thought, viz.\npersecution from without, and trial and distress within the church. These\nconditions which are subsumed throughout must be clearly recognized in\norder to interpret the message aright, and to estimate its proper value\nfor the age which first received it. For, whether we accept the earlier or\nlater date of writing, the deadly power of the Roman Empire was being put\nforth to repress and destroy the church. At the later date the worship of\nthe Emperor was being made the test of obedience to law, and at either\ntime many Christians in the face of persecution were weak and wavering.\nThe immediate outlook was increasingly dark, and the future prospect full\nof gloom. The failure of the Messiah to reappear and of the church to\ntriumph; the bitter experience of persecution already endured, and the\ncertainty of greater suffering yet to follow; in a word, the apparent\nreversal of the brightest hopes of early Christianity, all of these called\nfor some divine message of cheer that would inspirit the discouraged,\nthrow light upon the path of sorrow and shame, and make their lot\nendurable because of the assuredly glorious outcome of the future. And\nthere was no kind of message so well suited to meet such a crisis as the\nform of Apocalyptic, which grew out of similar conditions, and had a tone\nand temper peculiarly adapted to infuse a triumphant hope in the midst of\ngrowing religious despair.(49) But let us not fail to perceive that though\nthe Apocalypse was specially designed to meet a great crisis in the life\nof the early church, its effectiveness does not end there. Its lessons are\nfor us and for all time; it has the course and end of world\u2010history in\nview, and this is an ever\u2010living theme for the church of Christ in every\nage.\n\n\n\n\n11. The Purpose.\n\n\nThe Purpose of the Apocalypse, as indicated by its introductory words \u201cThe\nRevelation\u201d, is the revealing or unveiling of mystery. In the Christian\nsense a mystery is a former secret of divine truth that has now been at\nleast partially revealed (Eph. 3:1\u201011), while an apocalypse is the process\nof revealing it, and also the revelation itself containing the truth made\nknown. The comprehensive design of the book is to unfold and interpret the\ndivine purpose and method in human history, especially in relation to the\nredemptive process, by portraying in scenic outline the present and future\ncourse of the church of Christ through conflict to victory, for the\nvindication of God\u2019s righteousness in the final issue, and for the comfort\nand encouragement of tried and persecuted Christians in the midst of the\npathway of life.(50) The more immediate purpose was to strengthen the\nchurch in the strain of present distress, while the ultimate aim is to be\nfound not in the disclosure of history itself, but in the establishment of\nthe moral order of the world, in illustrating the fact that history is a\ndivinely guided \u201cmoral process toward a goal\u201d, as the substantial ground\nof a true philosophy of life, and as a permanent defense against false and\npartial views. And this purpose is so wrought out by the portrayal of the\nworld as an ideal battlefield full of opposing forces, with alternating\nscenes of triumph and danger, that the whole becomes a fervent and\npowerful appeal to the heroic in Christian life and character, and a clear\ncall to new faith and courage. For whatever else may be its lessons, we\nmust not leave out of view this practical purpose of divine monition to\nthe world of men, which has so deeply impressed itself upon every\ngeneration of Christians. Its message of warning is inwrought with and\nre\u00ebnforced by its prophetic scenes of terror and reward: for the\nApocalypse is the book of the future as well as of the past and present,\nand that future is ever near in prophetic vision, however far it may be in\nhistoric relation, and to John\u2019s eye is always filled with the figure of\nthe returning Christ who comes to judgment and to victory. The message,\nhowever, viewed in its entirety, while it contains a sympathetic element\nof encouragement for the saints, and a monitory element of exhortation and\nwarning for all men, is yet fundamentally a philosophic interpretation of\nthe divine method in history for all who would see God in the story of\nman\u2019s life on the earth\u2014a theodicy based upon prophecy. And any view which\nassumes for the author a narrow field of vision, such as that he merely\ngrouped together the current apocalyptic conceptions of his time in order\nto fling them in fierce polemic against the Roman Empire and to foreshadow\nits defeat and fall,(51) rests upon a manifestly imperfect judgment that\nfails in religious depth, missing the spiritual significance of the\nmessage, and lacks in literary insight, denying the evident marks of\noriginality, genius, and inspiration in the most wonderful and unique\ncomposition of its kind that has ever been produced.\n\n\n\n\n12. The Interpretation.\n\n\nThere are two essentially different methods of Interpretation that have\nbeen followed in attempting to arrive at the meaning of this manifestly\ndifficult book, which are founded upon different conceptions of its\ndidactic purpose, and proceed upon different lines of inquiry, viz. the\nHistorical, and the Symbolical.\n\nThe Historical Interpretation regards the book as a _prophetic review and\nforecast of history_ veiled in symbol, and seeks the meaning and\nfulfilment of the visions in certain specific historical events which\neither have occurred, are occurring, or will occur within the sphere of\nhuman life and experience. There are three different forms of this method\nof interpretation, all of which specialize the prophecy but differ as to\nthe time and nature of the fulfilment, viz. (1) the _Preterist_ view (also\ncalled the Contemporaneous\u2010Historical), which regards that the visions\nrelate mainly to events in the history of the early church, and that they\nhave been already fulfilled in the far past; (2) the _Futurist_ view (also\ncalled the Future\u2010Historical), that the visions relate mainly to events\nwhich shall occur in the last days, and that the fulfilment is to be\nlooked for chiefly in the more or less remote future; and (3) the\n_Progressivist_ view (also called the Continuous\u2010 or Church\u2010Historical),\nthat the several visions constitute a continuous and progressive series,\ncovering the whole period of the church\u2019s history from the time of John to\nthe last judgment, and that their fulfilment is therefore to be found in a\nsuccessive line of historical events, part of which lie in the past and\npart in the future.\n\nThe Symbolical Interpretation, upon the other hand, regards the book as a\n_prophetic idealization of history_, dealing with the general course and\noutcome of man\u2019s life upon the earth, and disclosing under the form of\nsymbols the spiritual and moral forces which give to history its deeper\nmeaning; and seeks the significance and fulfilment of the visions not,\ntherefore, in particular events, but rather in classes of events, not\nsolely at one definite time, but at many different times, finding the\nrevelation mainly illustrative of general principles of the divine\ngovernment rather than predictive of particular facts of history, a view\nof various phases rather than of historic stages of the church\u2019s\nexperience,(52) and interpreting its symbols in the genuine spirit of\nApocalyptic as pictorial representations of the prevailing fortunes of the\nchurch in the world as she moves forward to the final consummation.(53)\nThis method of interpretation, which is commonly known as the _Symbolist_\nview (also called the Spiritual), presents no such marked difference of\nform as the Historical, but with a wider outlook regards that the visions\nrelate to all such like events in every age as specially manifest God\u2019s\nrule in the world sending forth judgment unto victory, and such as\nparticularly exhibit the progressive development of good and evil in human\nlife, together with their constant conflict and their final reward and\npunishment.\n\nAll the current interpretations may be classified under one or other of\nthe above heads, yet in the hands of individual interpreters they are\noften modified and blend into each other in their application\u2014a manifest\nrecognition of the fact that there is an element of truth underlying each\nview, which we may perhaps say has been unduly emphasized, for all agree\nthat the interpretation is somehow and somewhere to be found in human life\nand history.\n\nWhat might be called still another method of interpretation is the\nApocalyptic\u2010Traditional (or Tradition\u2010Historical) view of late critical\nwriters on the Apocalypse already referred to, which approaches the\nquestion from the viewpoint of literary origin, and attributes certain\nportions of the book to the introduction of traditional Jewish or Jewish\u2010\nChristian Apocalyptic fragments that have been utilized by the author and\napplied to the historical conditions of his time, adapting them to a new\nmeaning. This, however, is not so much a separate method of interpretation\nas it is a corollary of the present Literary\u2010Critical method of dealing\nwith the book, which regards it as an early Christian work in successive\neditions that has taken into itself certain Jewish elements. With this\norigin assumed the interpretation does not differ materially from the\nPreterist view except, perhaps, that it is less rigorous in its\napplication to current events, and recognizes more fully the idealism of\nthe author; for the historical outlook has measurably lost its value\nexcept as an indication of the date of writing, and for most who hold this\nview the book has no longer any distinctive prophetic message for the\nchurch; it has become chiefly a fantastic dream, a pious dream it is true,\nbut only a dream of the far past.\n\nThe principal question of interpretation, as will be seen by a\nconsideration of the current views, relates not only to the view\u2010point,\nbut also to the aim or design of the Revelation. The Historical method\ncenters the chief aim of the book in a _predictive_\u2010prophetic element\nwhich it finds throughout and regards as pointing to specific events in\nparticular periods of history that are designed to teach important\nspiritual lessons. With this idea of the didactic purpose, it yet presents\nthe widest variation of opinion concerning the viewpoint of the book, and\nincludes upon the one hand the extreme rationalist who considers it a\npurely human writing, a Jewish apocalypse that has been revamped to\ninclude Christian ideas, which blends history with prediction and reflects\nonly the horizon of the first century; and on the other hand the devout\nmystic who accepts its message as chiefly predictive prophecy of the far\nfuture, and interprets it well nigh literally as a prophetic account of\nthe world\u2019s ending amid terror and blood. The Symbolist method, with a\nquite different conception, centers the aim of the book in an\n_interpretative_\u2010prophetic element which it finds in every part, and\nregards as setting forth the principles of the divine government, and\npointing to their exemplification in multiple events occurring in\ndifferent periods of history that are working together toward the final\nconsummation. According to this method of interpretation the viewpoint is\nidealistic, universal, and timeless, and the scope of the visions\ncorrespondingly wide.\n\nThe latter view, which is the one presented in the following outline,\naffords a fairly satisfactory interpretation that has been steadily\ngaining ground during the last half\u2010century, and to the present author\nseems destined in some form to attain general though perhaps not universal\nacceptance. The views of the leaders in the symbolical school present no\nmaterial divergence in general interpretation,(54) and the principles of\nthis interpretation seem likely to prevail throughout the Christian church\nof the future, though the form and application may be somewhat modified.\nThe objection that \u201cthis system of interpretation is out of keeping with\nthe general purpose of Apocalyptic literature\u201d,(55) loses its force if we\ngrant that the book is inspired, and realize that the literary form was\nchosen because of its adaptability for the treatment of the topics dealt\nwith in the Apocalypse; for once, the Apocalyptic form becomes the vehicle\nof a divine revelation, it thereby escapes some of the main limitations of\nits class, one of which was \u201cthe consciousness of no new message from God\nfor the generation to which it was addressed\u201d; and accordingly it should\nhere be regarded as only the literary setting in which the message\ncontinually overtops the form, the art\u2010form in which the art is lost sight\nof through the beauty and power of the truth which it presents. This view,\nalthough not without difficulties, is yet believed by a good proportion of\neminent scholars to be based upon sound and temperate exegesis, to be best\nsuited to the character of the book, and to give relative value to all the\nelements of truth contained in other views. The importance of the\nhistorical situation of John\u2019s time and of the lessons for that age is\nfully recognized, the eschatological element throughout is given due\nconsideration, and the application of the prophecy to the entire trend and\nevents of history is made apparent, while the precise time\u2010relation of the\nvisions is for the most part eliminated, and thus the field of prophetic\nprospective is maintained in its true breadth, and not narrowed as in the\nhistorical interpretation to a particular age or series of events. And the\ninterpretation as a whole rests for its validity upon the scope and tenor\nof the book throughout, and can therefore be maintained without\ndetermining the full or specific meaning of every part. The Revelation\nthus understood ceases to be either a political diatribe of the first\ncentury, or the terrored story of the End; it rises above an epitome of\nhistory whether near or far, and takes rank as a true prophetic book in\nApocalyptic form, dealing with the all\u2010embracing plan of God for the ages,\nand the munificent purpose of redemption; and it is thereby rescued from\nmany conjectural and contradictory interpretations which have obscured its\nmeaning, and becomes a living prophecy of value to the church in every\nage.\n\nThe tendency toward wiser methods in the interpretation of the Apocalypse,\nand the growing spirit of unanimity concerning its larger lessons, provide\ngood ground for encouragement to the troubled reader. And while, no doubt,\nthe influence of the individual type of mind will continue to be felt in\nthe interpretation, the rationalistic emphasizing the preterist\napplication, the mystic the futurist, and the practical mind the symbolic\nand universal reference, yet it should always be kept in view that the\nchief importance of the book for the church at large transcends any\nquestion of theoretical interpretation, and lies in its practical worth in\nproviding a rich source of religious inspiration, an invigorating aid to\nimperfect faith, and an abiding stimulus to the Christian imagination, in\nenabling the ordinary mind to realize the spiritual in the midst of and\ntranscending the natural, and in making the deep conflict of life with its\ndivine superintendence an ever present fact to the human soul. Indeed the\nbook was evidently written for common use in the early church in public\nworship (ch. 1:3), which indicates an appreciation of its value in\nstriking contrast with the modern indifference that passes it by as\nunintelligible. The Apocalypse has also a historical value, quite apart\nfrom its general meaning and use, that we should not overlook, for it\nthrows important light upon the political and social conditions as well as\nthe inner thought and development of the Christian church in the latter\npart of the first century. It reflects throughout the faith and temper in\nwhich the early church faced its growing conflict with the world. And it\nserves to show that at the close of the apostolic age there was a\nChristianity which was free from the law and universal, and yet continued\nto adhere to Jewish modes of expression.(56)\n\n\n\n\n13. The Outline Analysis.\n\n\nI THE PROLOGUE (OR INTRODUCTION): Ch. 1:1\u20103:22\n1 The Superscription: Ch. 1:1\u20103\n2 The Salutation: Ch. 1:4\u20108\n3 The Introductory Vision: Ch. 1:9\u201020\n4 The Seven Epistles: Ch. 2:1\u20103:22\n\nII THE MAIN APOCALYPSE (OR REVELATION PROPER): Ch. 4:1\u201022:5\n1 The Vision of God on the Throne: Ch. 4:1\u20105:14\n2 The Vision of the Seven Seals: Ch. 6:1\u201017, and 8:1\n2b The Episode of the Sealed Ones: Ch. 7:1\u201017\n3 The Vision of the Seven Trumpets: Ch. 8:2\u20109:21, and 11:14\u201019\n3b The Episode of the Angel with the Book, and of the Two Witnesses:\n Ch. 10:1\u201011:13\n4 The Vision of Conflict: Ch. 12:1\u201014:20\n5 The Vision of the Seven Vials: Ch. 15:1\u201016:12, and 16:17\u201021\n5b The Episode of the Frog\u2010like Spirits: Ch. 16:13\u201016\n6 The Vision of Victory: Ch. 17:1\u201020:15\n7 The Vision of the New Jerusalem: Ch. 21:1\u201022:5\n\nIII THE EPILOGUE (OR CONCLUSION): Ch. 22:6\u201021\n1 The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ: Ch. 22:6\u201016\n2 The Closing Testimony of John: Ch. 22:17\u201020\n3 The Author\u2019s Benediction: Ch. 22:21\n\n\n\n\n14. The Literary Structure.\n\n\nThe elaborate and artistic Literary Structure of the Apocalypse, the\nnumerical symmetry of its parts, the parallelism of its visions, and the\nrecurrent climaxes in its development, together unite to give it a unique\nplace among the writings of Scripture; and a clear perception of these\nrelations becomes a distinct aid to the better understanding of its\nmessage, for these belong to it as the outer robes which enfold its inner\nthought. The predominance of the number seven in the arrangement of its\nsubject\u2010matter throughout, especially the recurrence of formal series of\nsevens in the Epistles, Seals, Trumpets, and Vials, has commonly led to\nthe conclusion that the book is somehow capable of division into seven\nparts fundamental to its structure. And although the failure of\ncommentators to agree generally upon any lines of division yet proposed\nscarcely seems to support this opinion, yet the possible correctness and\nthe general helpfulness of such a division is fully recognized. Any such\ndivision which we may make, however, is chiefly one of analysis, for the\nvisions are continuous and develop without any distinctive break of\nprophetic view. The outline analysis given above divides the Visions, or\nmain portion of the book, into seven parts, the Episodes being made\nparenthetical and subordinate, as their contents and connection serve to\nindicate; while the four subdivisions of the Introduction and three of the\nConclusion taken together, form another seven. This general division,\nwhich is not an uncommon one, agrees in the main, though not in statement\nor in full detail, with that in the _Pulpit Commentary_,(57) and is one of\nthe most natural as well as the most helpful in bringing out the chief\nthought of the book. The carefully wrought out and remarkably suggestive\ndivision and subdivision into complete series of sevens, given in the\n_Modern Reader\u2019s Bible_,(58) after the same manner as the Prophecy of\nEzekiel, and the Rhapsody of Joel, is worthy of attentive consideration,\nthough it may well be doubted whether such an extensive subdivision found\nplace in the Apocalyptist\u2019s thought.(59) With discriminative literary\ninsight the author of that work says, concerning the general outline of\nthe book, \u201cThe seven visions of St. John\u2019s Revelation seem in the line of\ntheir succession to trace the figure of an arch, the keystone of the arch\nbeing the master\u2010thought of the prophecy;... On either side of it [in the\narrangement of the visions] III is closely parallel with V, and II with VI\n... while I and VII are separate from the rest.... As always, literary\nform is here pointing to the deepest spiritual meaning\u201d. The theme of the\ncentral vision according to this view, is \u201cSalvation: the Kingdom of this\nWorld becoming the Kingdom of Christ\u201d, which puts the purpose of the\nChristian warfare to the front, and has much to commend it; for the\nwarfare is in order that the redemptive purpose of God may become\neffective and triumphant. There are reasons, however, in the scheme of the\nbook which seem to place the main emphasis upon the warfare itself as\nleading to salvation, and that view has been accepted in this work.\nFollowing the fertile suggestion given above, though with a somewhat\ndifferent conception of the theme of the several visions, we arrive at the\nfollowing outline of the thought and plan of the chief part of the\nbook,(60) viz:\u2014\n\n IV\n III V\n II VI\nI VII\n\n[Transcriber\u2019s Note: In the book, the above table had the following text\nfor each of the seven sections; they are laid out here to make it look\ncorrect with modern readers.]\n\nIV\u2014A Vision of Warfare\u2014the Church\u2010Historic World\u2010Conflict of the Evil\nagainst the Just. (Ch. 12:1\u201014:20)\n\nIII\u2014A Vision of Threatening\u2014the World\u2019s Punishment Threatened. (Ch.\n8:2\u20109:21, and 11:14\u201019)\n\nV\u2014A Vision of Judgment\u2014the World\u2019s Judgment Executed. (Ch. 15:1\u201016:12, and\n16:17\u201021)\n\nII\u2014A Vision of Trial\u2014the Church\u2019s Trial Foreshown. (Ch. 6:1\u201017, and 8:1)\n\nVI\u2014A Vision of Vindication\u2014the Church\u2019s Vindication Manifested. (Ch.\n17:1\u201020:15)\n\nI\u2014A Vision of Sovereignty\u2014the Throne during Conflict. (Ch. 4:1\u20105:14)\n\nVII\u2014A Vision of Triumph\u2014the Throne after Victory. (Ch. 21:1\u201022:5)\n\nIf we follow the natural order of the visions from I to VII, we find it to\nbe one of _progression_, viz. from Sovereignty to Trial, then to\nThreatening, and on through Warfare, Judgment, and Vindication to Triumph,\neach being a separate step in advance: if we compare I with VII, II with\nVI, and III with V, we find the order to be marked by _parallelism_, viz.\nSovereignty corresponding to Triumph, Trial to Vindication, and\nThreatening to Judgment, vision IV, that of Warfare, holding the balance\nbetween them: while if we regard the central vision in relation to the\nrest, we find the arrangement to be one of _climax_, vision IV forming the\nconnecting link between I and VII, II and VI, and III and V, the visions\npreceding and following it forming an ascending and descending scale to\nand from the center, viz. that of Sovereignty leading through Warfare to\nTriumph, that of Trial through Warfare to Vindication, and that of\nThreatening through Warfare to Judgment. The movement of thought is\nthereby indicated to be from the throne challenged to the throne\ntriumphant, from the church tried to the church vindicated, from the world\nthreatened to the world judged, through a world\u2010conflict which forms the\nacme of the dramatic purpose, and discloses the entire sweep of redemptive\nhistory as buttressed upon the eternal throne. The seven visions,\naccording to this view, are not bound together by any temporal succession,\nbut each displays a world\u2010process complete in itself, and they are so\narranged that the climax is reached at the center instead of the end,\nafter the analogy of Hebrew poetry, the central vision furnishing the key\nto the interpretation of the whole.(61) The value of such an analytic\ninterpretation, when sustained by the contents of the book, lies not alone\nin the help which it affords in penetrating the deeper purpose of the\nwriter, and of the revelation made through him, but in the illuminative\neffect which, in a case like this, it throws upon the disputed question of\nunity; for if any such clearly marked and continuous current of thought\ncan be shown to thread its way throughout the entire book, despite all by\u2010\ncurrents and eddies, then the various theories of diverse or composite\nauthorship cease to be credible except to pure theorists.\n\n\n\n\n15. The Literature.\n\n\nThe Literature relating to this difficult book is very extensive, more\nworks, strange to say, having been written on the Apocalypse which has\nbeen so imperfectly understood than upon any other part of Scripture,\nthough many of them are now rightly regarded as of little value. A careful\nstudy of one or more of the leading authorities representing each of the\ncurrent methods of interpretation will give a fair view of the whole\nfield, and will serve to show that in many points there is essential\nagreement among all schools of thought, though for advanced work one\u2019s\nreading must necessarily cover a wider range, for the student should then\nknow all the best that has been said upon the problems of the book. The\nmost important qualification, however, for this difficult study is to\napproach the whole subject with an open mind and a fresh spirit of\ninquiry, resolved to be quite untrammelled by traditional interpretations,\nto investigate with scrupulous care the various points of view, and to\napply with fearless courage all the _well\u2010established_ results of\ninvestigation, especially those of the later fruitful studies in\nApocalyptic literature, which enable us to approach more nearly the\nviewpoint of the earliest readers of the book, but which yet remain to be\nduly correlated with our previous knowledge, being confidently assured\nthat there is \u201clight yet to break\u201d for the earnest soul upon the deep\nthings of the Apocalypse.\n\nIt is not likely that any one commentary will prove entirely satisfactory\nto the thoughtful reader, owing to the wide variation of opinion upon many\nminor points among those holding the same general view. Milligan is very\nsuggestive though not always convincing, for he is oftentimes too\nindefinite in interpretation to be satisfying to the reader, telling us\nthat \u201cno detail of historic events need be looked for\u201d. His discussion of\nprinciples, however, is always illuminative, even when his application is\nnot quite so clear; and not infrequently his work is of more value in\nshowing the inconclusiveness of other views than in establishing his own.\nWe are indebted to him, through the general circulation of his works,\nperhaps more than to any other writer, for the present prevalence of the\nsymbolic view in the English speaking world, and his _Lectures_, and one\nor other of his _Commentaries_, should be read by every student. Plummer,\nin the _Pulpit __ Commentary_, will be found more satisfactory by the\ngeneral reader, especially if he inclines to the symbolic interpretation,\nand there is, in fact, no better commentary for common use, though we may\nnot agree with all his conclusions. To his wise and discriminative\njudgment the present author wishes to express a deep indebtedness. The\nshort introduction to that volume, with its scholarly notes on\nmanuscripts, versions, &c, will also be found very helpful to the busy\nstudent. Farrar, supporting the preterist view, gives the historical\nconditions of the Neronic period in a striking way, many of which are\nequally applicable to the whole latter part of the first century. Lee is\nespecially valuable for the condensed _r\u00e9sum\u00e9_ of opinions concerning many\nobscure passages throughout the book, though the great diversity of views\nat times presented is apt to be confusing. Faussett is excellent from his\npoint of view, ranking among the best premillennial interpreters. Seiss is\nalso a popular authority with those who share the premillennial\nexpectation, but his exegesis is often faulty, and his interpretation\nfanciful. Moulton\u2019s _Modern Reader\u2019s Bible_ vol. John, is indispensable\nfor its literary analysis and aid in gaining the general perspective, and\nshould be in the library of every student. The Introduction to Revelation\nin the _New Century Bible_, by C. A. Scott, gives an admirable and concise\nstatement of the present status of opinion concerning the problems of the\nbook, and the notes of the same volume are especially valuable for their\nreferences to Jewish Apocalyptic. This is the best small book for the use\nof the student who wishes to get an outline of the modern view concerning\nthe incorporation of Jewish apocalypses. For those who are acquainted with\nthe Greek text, Alford, Stuart, and D\u00fcsterdieck will be found quite\nhelpful, even though they belong to a former generation, for each has a\nspecial excellency; but the late work of Swete, the _Apocalypse of St.\nJohn_ (1906), which is both thorough and scholarly, is indispensable for\nthe critical use of the student in that it meets more fully the questions\nof modern inquiry and present discussion, and maintains a moderate view of\nthe opinions now to the fore concerning the origin of the book. On the\nother hand Briggs\u2019 _Messiah of the Gospels_, and Moffatt\u2019s _Historical New\nTestament_ give a good account of late theories of composite authorship\nand deserve attention. Also the able work of Moffatt on Revelation in the\nfinal volume of the _Expositor\u2019s Greek Testament_ has been issued (1910),\nand deserves careful notice. The author adopts the modern critical view,\nthat portions of the book have been incorporated from current apocalypses,\nand devotes considerable attention to source\u2010criticism as an aid to\ninterpretation, but too much time is given to pointing out what he regards\nas parallel thought in Greek, Roman, and Jewish writings, and this often\nhas little interpretative value. The work is adapted to the ripe scholar\nrather than the earlier student, and though rejecting extreme views, it\nwill not be found altogether satisfying to those of more conservative mind\nwho believe that the Apocalypse is entitled to a primary rather than a\nsecondary place among the books of Scripture. Another work awaited with\nmuch interest is the volume on Revelation in the _International Critical\nCommentary_ which is in course of preparation by Charles, the eminent\nauthority upon Apocalyptic.(62) This volume when issued will no doubt add\nmuch of value to the modern point of view, and serve to throw additional\nlight upon the relations of Apocalyptic literature to this its greatest\nmasterpiece. His _Studies in the Apocalypse_ (1913) serves to indicate the\ngeneral line of interpretation to be expected, and it must be said that\nthis is somewhat disappointing to the conservative reader, for it is\nhighly critical. One naturally hesitates to disagree so widely with such\nan eminent scholar and distinguished apocalyptist as has been found\nnecessary to do in the following pages; but it should be remembered that\nall Scripture is written for the world of men, and that the opinion of no\none scholar or number of scholars can authoritatively determine the\nmeaning of any part of it, but that rather the interpretation must be\narrived at by a general consensus of opinion among men of learning and\npiety throughout the world. That this opinion, though now veering toward\nthe critical view, will not be eventually sustained by more thorough\nresearch is the confirmed judgment of many scholars. But with it all there\nare many points of interpretation formerly in dispute that may now be\nregarded as already settled, their essential meaning in any case being\nsubstantially the same, and thus the book so long aglow with mysteries has\nvirtually become every man\u2019s book in the light of intelligent\ninterpretation.\n\nFinally, with special emphasis it should be said, that it is of prime\nimportance for those who would understand the Apocalypse in its proper\nrelations to Biblical thought, that a careful study should be made of the\nprophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah, Amos, Joel, and\nHabakkuk, together with the Book of Psalms, in connection with the\nRevelation, in order to catch the inner thought of the book; also of some\nportion of the Apocalyptic literature, particularly the _Book of\nEnoch_,(63) the _Apocalypse of Baruch_, and the _Fourth Book of Ezra_, for\nthese will furnish the atmosphere of Jewish thought in which the\nApocalypse was conceived, and will provide substantial aid in\nunderstanding the peculiarities of its literary form and the general\nspirit of the work, as well as in freeing the mind from the trammels of\ntraditional interpretation. But, above all, we should not forget that the\nbook of Revelation is a properly recognized part of canonical Scripture in\npractically the universal judgment of the entire Christian world, and that\nnotwithstanding its many and persistent difficulties of interpretation, it\nis yet entitled to our earnest study and attentive thought as containing a\nliving and abiding message from Almighty God, through his Son Jesus Christ\nour Lord to John the last of the apostles, and through him to the sin\u2010\nburdened souls of men the world over.\n\nA few authorities are named below, which will be found sufficient to give\nmost that is of value in interpretation for the general reader; others are\nreferred to in the foot\u2010notes. For a fuller list, especially of the older\nbooks, consult the Schaff\u2010Herzog _Encyclopaedia_, or Smith\u2019s _Dictionary\nof the Bible_, art. \u201cRevelation\u201d; while for the later literature see\nHastings\u2019 _Dictionary of the Bible_, and the _Encyclopaedia Biblica_.\n\nFOR THE ENGLISH READER.\n\nPreterist View:\u2014\n\n\n Farrar, _Early Days of Christianity_;\n\n Maurice, _Lectures on the Apocalypse_.\n\n\nFuturist View:\u2014\n\n\n Faussett, in _Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown\u2019s Commentary_.\n\n Seiss, _Lectures on the Apocalypse_.\n\n\nProgressivist View:\u2014\n\n\n Wordsworth, _Lectures on the Apocalypse_;\n\n Barnes, _Notes on the Book of Revelation_.\n\n\nSymbolist View:\u2014\n\n\n Milligan, in _Expositor\u2019s Bible_, and in _Popular (International)\n Commentary_;\n\n Plummer, in _Pulpit Commentary_;\n\n Lee, in _Bible (Speakers\u2019) Commentary_.\n\n\nFOR CRITICAL STUDY.\n\nPreterist View:\u2014\n\n\n D\u00fcsterdieck, in _Meyer\u2019s Commentary_;\n\n Stuart, in _Commentary on the Apocalypse_.\n\n\nPreterist View\u2014Modern Critical:\u2014\n\n\n Moffatt, in _Expositor\u2019s Greek Testament_;\n\n Swete, _Apocalypse of St. John_.\n\n\nProgressivist View\u2014Modified Historical:\u2014\n\n\n Simcox, in _Cambridge Greek Testament_.\n\n\nFuturist View\u2014Modified Historical:\u2014\n\n\n Alford, in _Greek Testament_.\n\n\nFOR RECENT CRITICAL VIEWS.\n\nMoffatt\u2019s _Historical New Testament_;\n\nScott\u2019s \u201cRevelation\u201d, in _New Century Bible_;\n\nDean\u2019s _Book of Revelation_;\n\nAlexander Ramsay\u2019s \u201cRevelation and Johannine Epistles\u201d, in _Westminister\nNew Test._;\n\nBriggs\u2019 _Messiah of the Apostles_;\n\nBarton, art. \u201cThe Apocalypse and Recent Criticism\u201d, in _Amer. Journ. of\nTheol._, Apr. 1884;\n\nPorter, art. \u201cRevelation\u201d, in Hastings\u2019 _Dictionary of the Bible_;\n\nBousset, art. \u201cApocalypse\u201d, in the _Encyclopaedia Biblica_.\n\nMoffatt, art. \u201cWellhausen and Others on the Apocalypse\u201d, in the\n_Expositor_, Mar. 1909;\n\nCharles, _Studies in the Apocalypse_;\n\nCharles, _Revelation of St. John (I. C. C.)_;\n\nBeckwith, _Apocalypse of John_.\n\nFOR GENERAL DISCUSSION.\n\nFairbairn, _On Prophecy_;\n\nBleek, _Lectures on the Apocalypse_;\n\nVaughan, _Lectures on the Revelation of St. John_;\n\nMilligan, _Lectures on the Apocalypse_; and _Discussions on the\nApocalypse_;\n\nScott, \u201cBook of Revelation\u201d, in the _Practical Commentary_;\n\nStevens, _Theology of the New Testament_, Part VI;\n\nRamsay, _Letters to the Seven Churches_;\n\n_Introductions to the New Testament_ by Salmon, Dods, Bacon, J\u00fclicher, and\nothers;\n\n_Introductions to Revelation_ in the leading _Commentaries_, and in the\n_Modern Reader\u2019s Bible_, the _New Century Bible_, the _Temple Bible_, and\nthe _Modern American Bible_; and the text of Revelation in the _New\nTranslation of the New Testament_, by Moffatt.\n\nThe Text here given is that of the _American Standard Edition of the\nRevised Bible_, copyright 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons, which is used by\npermission of the publishers.\n\nThe arrangement of the text belongs to the present volume, and is offered\nas a contribution to the correct interpretation. This in itself is of the\nnature of a commentary, though no changes have been introduced into the\nbody of the text. The paragraphs, however, have been changed, and many new\nparagraphs made, in order to emphasize the thought of the text.\n\n\n\n\n\nSCRIPTURE TEXT\n\n\nTHE REVELATION\n[OF JOHN]\n\n\n\n\nI The Prologue\n\n\n\n1 The Superscription\n\n\nChapter 1.\n\n(M1) 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave(64) him to show unto\nhis servants(65), _even_ the things which must shortly come to pass: and\nhe sent and signified _it_(66) by his angel unto his servant John; 2 who\nbare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,\n_even_ of all things that he saw.\n\n(M2) 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the\nprophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at\nhand.\n\n\n\n2 The Salutation\n\n\n(M3) 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and\npeace, from him who is and who was and who is to come(67); and from the\nseven Spirits that are before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, _who\nis_ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the\nkings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed(68) us from our\nsins by(69) his blood; 6 and he made us _to be_ a kingdom, _to be_ priests\nunto his God and Father(70); to him _be_ the glory and the dominion for\never and ever(71). Amen.\n\n(M4) (7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him,\nand they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn\nover him. Even so, Amen.\n\n(M5) 8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who(72) is and\nwho was and who is to come, the Almighty.)\n\n\n\n3 The Introductory Vision\n\n\n(M6) 9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and\nkingdom and patience(73) _which are_ in Jesus, was in the isle that is\ncalled Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in\nthe Spirit on the Lord\u2019s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a\ntrumpet 11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send _it_ to the\nseven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto\nThyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.\n\n(M7) 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having\nturned I saw seven golden candlesticks(74); 13 and in the midst of the\ncandlesticks(75) one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down\nto the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. 14 And\nhis head and his hair were white as white wool, _white_ as snow; and his\neyes were as a flame of fire; 15 and his feet like unto burnished brass,\nas if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many\nwaters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth\nproceeded a sharp two\u2010edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun\nshineth in his strength.\n\n(M8) 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid\nhis right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, 18\nand the Living one; and I was(76) dead, and behold, I am alive for\nevermore(77), and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Write\ntherefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the\nthings which shall come to pass hereafter; 20 the mystery of the seven\nstars which thou sawest in(78) my right hand, and the seven golden\ncandlesticks(79). The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and\nthe seven candlesticks(80) are seven churches:\u2014\n\n\n\n4 The Seven Epistles\n\n\nChapter 2.\n\n1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:\n\n(M9) These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand,\nhe that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks(81): 2 I\nknow thy works, and thy toil and patience(82), and that thou canst not\nbear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they\nare not, and didst find them false; 3 and thou hast patience(83) and didst\nbear for my name\u2019s sake, and hast not grown weary. 4 But I have _this_\nagainst thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. 5 Remember therefore\nwhence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come\nto thee, and will move thy candlestick(84) out of its place, except thou\nrepent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the\nNicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what\nthe Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I\ngive to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise(85) of God.\n\n8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:\n\n(M10) These things saith the first and the last, who was(86) dead, and\nlived _again_: 9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art\nrich), and the blasphemy(87) of them that say they are Jews, and they are\nnot, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou art\nabout to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into\nprison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have(88) tribulation ten\ndays(89). Be thou faithful until death, and I will give thee the crown of\nlife. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the\nchurches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.\n\n12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:\n\n(M11) These things saith he that hath the sharp two\u2010edged sword: 13 I know\nwhere thou dwellest, _even_ where Satan\u2019s throne is; and thou holdest fast\nmy name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my\nwitness(90), my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan\ndwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there\nsome that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a\nstumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to\nidols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also some that hold the\nteaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. 16 Repent therefore; or else I\ncome to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of\nmy mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to\nthe churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden\nmanna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name\nwritten, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.\n\n18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:\n\n(M12) These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of\nfire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass: 19 I know thy works, and\nthy love and faith and ministry and patience(91), and that thy last works\nare more than the first. 20 But I have _this_ against thee, that thou\nsufferest the woman Jezebel(92), who calleth herself a prophetess; and she\nteacheth and seduceth my servants(93) to commit fornication, and to eat\nthings sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time that she should repent;\nand she willeth not to repent of her fornication. 22 Behold, I cast her\ninto a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation,\nexcept they repent of her(94) works. 23 And I will kill her children with\ndeath(95); and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the\nreins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your\nworks. 24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as\nhave not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are\nwont to say; I cast upon you none other burden. 25 Nevertheless that which\nye have, hold fast till I come. 26 And he that overcometh, and he that\nkeepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the\nnations(96): 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels\nof the potter are broken(97) to shivers; as I also have received of my\nFather: 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 He that hath an ear,\nlet him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.\n\nChapter 3.\n\nAnd to the angel of the church in Sardis write:\n\n(M13) 1 These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the\nseven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and\nthou art dead. 2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain,\nwhich were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine(98) perfected\nbefore my God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear;\nand keep _it_, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come\nas a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 But\nthou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and\nthey shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. 5 He that\novercometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise\nblot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before\nmy Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what\nthe Spirit saith to the churches.\n\n7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:\n\n(M14) These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath\nthe key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth\nand none openeth: 8 I know thy works (behold, I have set(99) before thee a\ndoor opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and\ndidst keep my word, and didst not deny my name. 9 Behold, I give of the\nsynagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but\ndo lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship(100) before thy feet,\nand to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou didst keep the word of\nmy patience(101), I also will keep thee from the hour of trial(102), that\n_hour_ which is to come upon the whole world(103), to try(104) them that\ndwell upon the earth. 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast,\nthat no one take thy crown. 12 He that overcometh, I will make him a\npillar in the temple(105) of my God, and he shall go out thence no more:\nand I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of\nmy God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God,\nand mine own new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the\nSpirit saith to the churches.\n\n14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:\n\n(M15) These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the\nbeginning of the creation of God: 15 I know thy works, that thou art\nneither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So because thou\nart lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.\n17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need\nof nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable\nand poor and blind and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined\nby fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou\nmayest clothe thyself, and _that_ the shame of thy nakedness be not made\nmanifest; and eye\u2010salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. 19 As\nmany as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.\n20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and\nopen the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with\nme. 21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my\nthrone, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. 22\nHe that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.\n\n\n\nII The Main Apocalypse\n\n\n1 The Vision of God on the Throne (The Throne During Conflict)\n\n\nChapter 4.\n\n(M16) 1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and\nthe first voice that I heard, _a voice_ as of a trumpet speaking with me,\none saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must\ncome to pass(106) hereafter.\n\n(M17) 2 Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne\nset in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne; 3 and he that sat _was_ to\nlook upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and _there was_ a rainbow\nround about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.\n\n(M18) 4 And round about the throne _were_ four and twenty thrones: and\nupon the thrones _I saw_ four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white\ngarments; and on their heads crowns of gold.\n\n(M19) 5 And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders.\nAnd _there were_ seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are\nthe seven Spirits of God;\n\n(M20) 6 And before the throne, as it were a sea of glass(107) like unto\ncrystal; and in the midst(108) of the throne, and round about the throne,\nfour living creatures full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first\ncreature _was_ like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the\nthird creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature _was_ like\na flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, having each one of them\nsix wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest\nday and night, saying,\n\n\n Holy, holy, holy, _is_ the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who\n is and who is to come(109).\n\n\n(M21) 9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and\nthanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and\never(110), 10 the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that\nsitteth on the throne, and shall worship(111) him that liveth for ever and\never(112), and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying,\n\n\n 11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and\n the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and\n because of thy will they were, and were created.\n\n\nChapter 5.\n\n(M22) 1 And I saw in(113) the right hand of him that sat on the throne a\nbook written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals. 2 And\nI saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open\nthe book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no one in the heaven, or\non the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look\nthereon. 4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the\nbook, or to look thereon: 5 and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not;\nbehold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath\novercome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.\n\n(M23) 6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living\ncreatures, and in the midst of the elders(114), a Lamb standing, as though\nit had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the\nseven(115) Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.\n\n(M24) 7 And he came, and he taketh(116) _it_ out of the right hand of him\nthat sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four living\ncreatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having\neach one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers\nof the saints.\n\n9 And they sing a new song, saying,\n\n\n Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:\n for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood\n _men_ of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, 10 and\n madest them to _be_ unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they\n reign upon the earth.\n\n\n(M25) 11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the\nthrone and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was\nten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 saying\nwith a great voice,\n\n\n Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and\n riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.\n\n\n13 And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and\nunder the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I\nsaying,\n\n\n Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, _be_ the\n blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever\n and ever(117).\n\n\n14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and\nworshipped(118).\n\n\n2 The Vision of the Seven Seals (The Church\u2019s Trial Foreshown)\n\n\nChapter 6.\n\n(M26) 1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard\none of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder,\nCome(119). 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon\nhad a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth\nconquering, and to conquer.\n\n(M27) 3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living\ncreature saying, Come. 4 And another _horse_ came forth, a red horse: and\nto him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth(120),\nand that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a\ngreat sword.\n\n(M28) 5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living\ncreature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that\nsat thereon had a balance in his hand. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in\nthe midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat(121) for\na shilling(122), and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil\nand the wine hurt thou not.\n\n(M29) 7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the\nfourth living creature saying, Come. 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale\nhorse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed\nwith him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of\nthe earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death(123), and\nby the wild beasts of the earth.\n\n(M30) 9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the\nsouls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the\ntestimony which they held: 10 and they cried with a great voice, saying,\nHow long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our\nblood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And there was given them to each\none a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for\na little time, until their fellow\u2010servants also and their brethren, who\nshould be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled(124) _their\ncourse_.\n\n(M31) 12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great\nearthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole\nmoon became as blood; 13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth,\nas a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind.\n14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every\nmountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of\nthe earth, and the princes, and the chief captains(125), and the rich, and\nthe strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and\nin the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the\nrocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the\nthrone, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their\nwrath is come; and who is able to stand?\n\n\n2b The Episode of the Sealed Ones (An Intervening Vision of Salvation\nAssured)\n\n\n(A) The Sealed of Israel\n\n\nChapter 7.\n\n(M32) 1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the\nearth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on\nthe earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree. 2 And I saw another angel\nascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried\nwith a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the\nearth and the sea, 3 saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the\ntrees, till we shall have sealed the servants(126) of our God on their\nforeheads.\n\n4 And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and\nfour thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:\n\n\n (M33) 5 Of the tribe of Judah _were_ sealed twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand;\n\n 6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand;\n\n 7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand;\n\n 8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand;\n Of the tribe of Benjamin _were_ sealed twelve thousand.\n\n\n(B) The Redeemed Out of All Nations\n\n\n(M34) 9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no\nman could number, out of every nation and of _all_ tribes and peoples and\ntongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white\nrobes, and palms in their hands;\n\n10 And they cry with a great voice, saying,\n\n\n Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the\n Lamb.\n\n\n(M35) 11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and\n_about_ the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the\nthrone on their faces, and worshipped(127) God, 12 saying,\n\n\n Amen: Blessing, and glory(128), and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and\n honor, and power, and might, _be_ unto our God for ever and\n ever(129). Amen.\n\n\n(M36) 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are\narrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they? 14 And I\nsay(130) unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are\nthey that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes,\nand made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before\nthe throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple(131):\nand he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.\n16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the\nsun strike upon them, nor any heat: 17 for the Lamb that is in the midst\nof(132) the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto\nfountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their\neyes.\n\nChapter 8.\n\n(M37) 1 And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in\nheaven about the space of half an hour.\n\n\n3 The Vision of the Seven Trumpets (The World\u2019s Judgment Proclaimed)\n\n\n(A) The Preparation for the Trumpets\n\n\n(M38) 2 And I saw the seven angels that stand before God; and there were\ngiven unto them seven trumpets.\n\n(M39) 3 And another angel came and stood over(133) the altar, having a\ngolden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should\nadd(134) it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which\nwas before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with(135) the\nprayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel\u2019s hand. 5 And\nthe angel taketh(136) the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the\naltar, and cast it upon(137) the earth: and there followed thunders, and\nvoices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.\n\n(M40) 6 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared\nthemselves to sound.\n\n\n(B) The Trumpets Sounded\n\n\n(M41) 7 And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled\nwith blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the\nearth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all\ngreen grass was burnt up.\n\n(M42) 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain\nburning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea\nbecame blood; 9 and there died the third part of the creatures which were\nin the sea, _even_ they that had life; and the third part of the ships was\ndestroyed.\n\n(M43) 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great\nstar, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers,\nand upon the fountains of the waters; 11 and the name of the star is\ncalled Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and\nmany men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.\n\n(M44) 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was\nsmitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars;\nthat the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not\nshine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner.\n\n(M45) (13 And I saw, and I heard an eagle(138), flying in mid heaven,\nsaying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the\nearth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,\nwho are yet to sound.)\n\nChapter 9.\n\n(M46) 1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen\nunto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the\nabyss. 2 And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out\nof the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were\ndarkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And out of the smoke came\nforth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions\nof the earth have power. 4 And it was said unto them that they should not\nhurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree,\nbut only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And it\nwas given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be\ntormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion,\nwhen it striketh a man. 6 And in those days men shall seek death, and\nshall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth\nfrom them. 7 And the shapes(139) of the locusts were like unto horses\nprepared for war; and upon their heads as it were crowns like unto gold,\nand their faces were as men\u2019s faces. 8 And they had hair as the hair of\nwomen, and their teeth were as _the teeth_ of lions. 9 And they had\nbreastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their\nwings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war. 10 And\nthey have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is\ntheir power to hurt men five months. 11 They have over them as king the\nangel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek\n_tongue_ he hath the name Apollyon(140).\n\n(M47) (12 The first Woe is past: behold there come yet two Woes\nhereafter.)\n\n(M48) 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice(141) from the\nhorns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth\nangel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the\ngreat river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, that had been\nprepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill\nthe third part of men. 16 And the number of the armies of the horsemen was\ntwice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them. 17 And\nthus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having\nbreastplates _as_ of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads\nof the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths\nproceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues was the\nthird part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone,\nwhich proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in\ntheir mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents,\nand have heads; and with them they hurt. 20 And the rest of mankind, who\nwere not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their\nhands, that they should not worship demons(142), and the idols of gold,\nand of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither\nsee, nor hear, nor walk: 21 and they repented not of their murders, nor of\ntheir sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.\n\n\n3b The Episode of the Angel with the Book and of the Two Witnesses (An\nIntervening Vision of Divine Help Attained)\n\n\n(A) The Angel with the Little Open Book\n\n\nChapter 10.\n\n(M49) 1 And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed\nwith a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the\nsun, and his feet as pillars of fire; 2 and he had in his hand a little\nbook open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the\nearth; 3 and he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth:\n\n(M50) And when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And\nwhen the seven thunders uttered _their voices_, I was about to write: and\nI heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up the things which the seven\nthunders uttered, and write them not.\n\n(M51) 5 And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth\nlifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and sware by him that liveth for\never and ever(143), who created the heaven and the things that are\ntherein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and\nthe things that are therein(144), that there shall be delay(145) no\nlonger: 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is\nabout to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good\ntidings which he declared to his servants(146) the prophets.\n\n(M52) 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven, _I heard it_ again\nspeaking with me, and saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand\nof the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 And I went\nunto the angel, saying unto him that he should give me the little book.\nAnd he saith unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly\nbitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. 10 And I took the\nlittle book out of the angel\u2019s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth\nsweet as honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter. 11 And\nthey say unto me, Thou must prophesy again over(147) many peoples and\nnations and tongues and kings.\n\n\n(B) The Two Witnesses\n\n\nChapter 11.\n\n(M53) 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said(148),\nRise, and measure the temple(149) of God, and the altar, and them that\nworship(150) therein. 2 And the court which is without the temple(151)\nleave without(152), and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the\nnations(153): and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two\nmonths.\n\n(M54) 3 And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a\nthousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These\nare the two olive trees and the two candlesticks(154), standing before the\nLord of the earth. 5 And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth\nout of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall\ndesire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 6 These have the\npower to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their\nprophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and\nto smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire.\n\n(M55) 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that\ncometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them,\nand kill them. 8 And their dead bodies(155) _lie_ in the street of the\ngreat city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their\nLord was crucified. 9 And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues\nand nations do _men_ look upon their dead bodies three days and a half,\nand suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And they that\ndwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send\ngifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell\non the earth.\n\n(M56) 11 And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God\nentered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell\nupon them that beheld them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven\nsaying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the\ncloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And in that hour there was a\ngreat earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were\nkilled in the earthquake seven thousand persons(156): and the rest were\naffrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.\n\n(M57) (14 The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly.)\n\n(M58) 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in\nheaven, and they said,\n\n\n The kingdom of the world is become _the kingdom_ of our Lord, and\n of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever(157).\n\n\n(M59) 16 And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their\nthrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped(158) God, 17 saying,\n\n\n We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who\n wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. 18\n And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of\n the dead to be judged, and _the time_ to give their reward to thy\n servants(159) the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that\n fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that\n destroy the earth.\n\n\n(M60) 19 And there was opened the temple(160) of God that is in heaven;\nand there was seen in his temple(161) the ark of his covenant; and there\nfollowed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and\ngreat hail.\n\n\n4 The Vision of Conflict (The Church\u2010Historic World\u2010Conflict of the Evil\nagainst the Just)\n\n\n(A) The Woman and the Dragon\n\n\nChapter 12.\n\n(M61) 1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun,\nand the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; 2\nand she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in\npain to be delivered. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and\nbehold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his\nheads seven diadems. 4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of\nheaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the\nwoman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may\ndevour her child.\n\n(M62) 5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all\nthe nations(162) with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God,\nand unto his throne.\n\n(M63) 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place\nprepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred\nand threescore days.\n\n\n(B) War in Heaven\n\n\n(M64) 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels _going forth_\nto war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 and they\nprevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the\ngreat dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil\nand Satan, the deceiver of the whole world(163); he was cast down to the\nearth, and his angels were cast down with him.\n\n(M65) 10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the\nsalvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of\nhis Christ(164): for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who\naccuseth them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him\nbecause of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their\ntestimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. 12 Therefore\nrejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell(165) in them. Woe for the earth and\nfor the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath,\nknowing that he hath but a short time.\n\n(M66) 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he\npersecuted the woman that brought forth the man _child_. 14 And there were\ngiven to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly\ninto the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and\ntimes, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent\ncast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might\ncause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the\nwoman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the\ndragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the\nwoman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the\ncommandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:\n\nChapter 13.\n\n1 and he stood(166) upon the sand of the sea.\n\n\n(C) The Two Beasts\n\n\n(M67) And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and\nseven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of\nblasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his\nfeet were as _the feet_ of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion:\nand the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. 3\nAnd _I saw_ one of his heads as though it had been smitten(167) unto\ndeath; and his death\u2010stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after\nthe beast; 4 and they worshipped(168) the dragon, because he gave his\nauthority unto the beast; and they worshipped(169) the beast saying, Who\nis like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him? 5 and there was\ngiven to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was\ngiven to him authority to continue(170) forty and two months. 6 And he\nopened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and\nhis tabernacle, _even_ them that dwell(171) in the heaven. 7 And it was\ngiven unto him to make war with the saints(172), and to overcome them: and\nthere was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue\nand nation. 8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship(173) him,\n_every one_ whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the\nworld in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain(174).\n\n(M68) (9 If any man hath an ear, let him hear. 10 If any man(175) _is_ for\ncaptivity(176), into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the\nsword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience(177) and the\nfaith of the saints.)\n\n(M69) 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had\ntwo horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth\nall the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth\nand them that dwell therein to worship(178) the first beast, whose death\u2010\nstroke was healed. 13 And he doeth great signs, that he should even make\nfire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men. 14 And\nhe deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it\nwas given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell\non the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the\nstroke of the sword and lived. 15 And it was given _unto him_ to give\nbreath to it, _even_ to the image of the beast, that the image of the\nbeast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not(179)\nworship(180) the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth\nall, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and\nthe bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon\ntheir forehead; 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save\nhe that hath the mark, _even_ the name of the beast or the number of his\nname.\n\n(M70) (18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the\nnumber of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six\nhundred and sixty and six(181).)\n\n\n(D) The Lamb on Mount Zion\n\n\nChapter 14.\n\n(M71) 1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and\nwith him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the\nname of his Father, written on their foreheads.\n\n(M72) 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and\nas the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard _was_ as _the\nvoice_ of harpers harping with their harps: 3 and they sing as it were a\nnew song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the\nelders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and\nfour thousand, _even_ they that had been purchased out of the earth.\n\n(M73) 4 These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are\nvirgins. These _are_ they that follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth.\nThese were purchased from among men, _to be_ the firstfruits unto God and\nunto the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no lie: they are without\nblemish.\n\n(M74) 6 And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good\ntidings(182) to proclaim unto them that dwell(183) on the earth, and unto\nevery nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he saith with a great\nvoice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come:\nand worship(184) him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and\nfountains of waters.\n\n(M75) 8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is\nBabylon the great, that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of\nthe wrath of her fornication.\n\n(M76) 9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great\nvoice, If any man worshippeth(185) the beast and his image, and receiveth\na mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the\nwine of the wrath of God, which is prepared(186) unmixed in the cup of his\nanger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence\nof the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 and the smoke of\ntheir torment goeth up for ever and ever(187); and they have no rest day\nand night, they that worship(188) the beast and his image, and whoso\nreceiveth the mark of his name.\n\n(M77) (12 Here is the patience(189) of the saints, they that keep the\ncommandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.)\n\n(M78) 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the\ndead who die in the Lord from henceforth(190): yea, saith the Spirit, that\nthey may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.\n\n(M79) 14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I _saw_\none sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and\nin his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out from the\ntemple(191), crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send\nforth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest\nof the earth is ripe(192). 16 And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle\nupon the earth; and the earth was reaped.\n\n(M80) 17 And another angel came out from the temple(193) which is in\nheaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from\nthe altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice\nto him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and\ngather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully\nripe. 19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the\nvintage(194) of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great\n_winepress_, of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without\nthe city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the\nbridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs.\n\n\n5 The Vision of the Seven Vials (The World\u2019s Judgment Executed)\n\n\n(A) The Preparation for the Vials\n\n\nChapter 15.\n\n(M81) 1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven\nangels having seven plagues, _which are_ the last, for in them is finished\nthe wrath of God.\n\n(M82) 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass(195) mingled with fire; and\nthem that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from\nthe number of his name, standing by(196) the sea of glass(197), having\nharps of God.\n\n(M83) 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant(198) of God, and the\nsong of the Lamb, saying,\n\n\n Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty;\n righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages(199). 4 Who\n shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art\n holy; for all the nations shall come and worship(200) before thee;\n for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.\n\n\n(M84) 5 And after these things I saw, and the temple(201) of the\ntabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 and there came out\nfrom the temple(202) the seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed\nwith _precious_ stone(203), pure _and_ bright, and girt about their\nbreasts with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave\nunto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who\nliveth for ever and ever(204). 8 And the temple(205) was filled with smoke\nfrom the glory of God, and from his power; and none was able to enter into\nthe temple(206), till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be\nfinished.\n\n\n(B) The Vials Poured Out\n\n\nChapter 16.\n\n(M85) 1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple(207), saying to the\nseven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into\nthe earth.\n\n(M86) 2 And the first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth; and it\nbecame(208) a noisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of\nthe beast, and that worshipped(209) his image.\n\n(M87) 3 And the second poured out his bowl into the sea; and it became\nblood as of a dead man; and every living soul(210) died, _even_ the things\nthat were in the sea.\n\n(M88) 4 And the third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the\nfountains of the waters; and it became(211) blood. 5 And I heard the angel\nof the waters saying, Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy\nOne, because thou didst thus judge: 6 for they poured out the blood of\nsaints and prophets(212), and blood hast thou given them to drink: they\nare worthy. 7 And I heard the altar saying, Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty,\ntrue and righteous are thy judgments.\n\n(M89) 8 And the fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given\nunto it(213) to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great\nheat: and they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these\nplagues; and they repented not to give him glory.\n\n(M90) 10 And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast;\nand his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11\nand they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their\nsores; and they repented not of their works.\n\n(M91) 12 And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the\n_river_ Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might\nbe made ready for the kings that _come_ from the sunrising.\n\n\n5b The Episode of the Frog\u2010like Spirits (An Intervening Vision of Warning\nto the Redeemed)\n\n\n(M92) 13 And I saw _coming_ out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the\nmouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three\nunclean spirits, as it were frogs: 14 for they are spirits of demons,\nworking signs; which go forth unto(214) the kings of the whole world(215),\nto gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the\nAlmighty.\n\n(M93) 15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and\nkeepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame).\n\nThe Gathering at Har\u2010Magedon 16 And they gathered them together into the\nplace which is called in Hebrew Har\u2010Magedon(216).\n\n(M94) 17 And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came\nforth a great voice out of the temple(217), from the throne, saying, It is\ndone: 18 and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there\nwas a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men(218) upon the\nearth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. 19 And the great city was\ndivided into three parts, and the cities of the nations(219) fell: and\nBabylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the\ncup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled\naway, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail, _every stone_\nabout the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men\nblasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof\nis exceeding great.\n\n\n6 The Vision of Victory (The Church\u2019s Vindication Manifested)\n\n\n(A) The Mystical Babylon and Her Fall\n\n\nChapter 17.\n\n(M95) 1 And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls,\nand spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of\nthe great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 2 with whom the kings of\nthe earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were\nmade drunken with the wine of her fornication.\n\n(M96) 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw\na woman sitting upon a scarlet\u2010colored beast, full of names of\nblasphemy(220), having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was\narrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked(221) with gold and precious\nstone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations,\neven the unclean things(222) of her fornication, 5 and upon her forehead a\nname written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT(223), THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS\nAND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with\nthe blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs(224) of Jesus.\nAnd when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.\n\n(M97) 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will\ntell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her,\nwhich hath the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest\nwas, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go(225)\ninto perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, _they_\nwhose name hath not been written in(226) the book of life from the\nfoundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and\nis not, and shall come(227).\n\n(M98) 9 Here is the mind(228) that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven\nmountains, on which the woman sitteth: 10 and they are(229) seven kings;\nthe five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he\ncometh, he must continue a little while. 11 And the beast that was, and is\nnot, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goeth into\nperdition. 12 And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have\nreceived no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the\nbeast, for one hour. 13 These have one mind, and they give their power and\nauthority unto the beast. 14 These shall war against the Lamb, and the\nLamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and\nthey _also shall overcome_ that are with him, called and chosen and\nfaithful.\n\n(M99) 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the\nharlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16\nAnd the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the\nharlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh,\nand shall burn her utterly with fire. 17 For God did put in their hearts\nto do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto\nthe beast, until the words of God should be accomplished. 18 And the woman\nwhom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings(230) of\nthe earth.\n\nChapter 18.\n\n(M100) 1 After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven,\nhaving great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And\nhe cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,\nand is become a habitation of demons, and a hold(231) of every unclean\nspirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For by the\nwine(232) of(233) the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen;\nand the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the\nmerchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness(234).\n\n(M101) 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my\npeople, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye\nreceive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached(235) even unto\nheaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Render unto her even as\nshe rendered, and double _unto her_ the double according to her works: in\nthe cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. 7 How much soever she\nglorified herself, and waxed wanton(236), so much give her of torment and\nmourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and\nshall in no wise see mourning. 8 Therefore in one day shall her plagues\ncome, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned\nwith fire; for strong is the Lord(237) God who judged her.\n\n(M102) 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived\nwantonly(238) with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon\nthe smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off for the fear of her\ntorment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for\nin one hour is thy judgment come.\n\n(M103) 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no\nman buyeth their merchandise(239) any more; 12 merchandise of gold, and\nsilver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and\nsilk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and\nevery vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and\nmarble; 13 and cinnamon, and spice(240), and incense, and ointment, and\nfrankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle,\nand sheep; and _merchandise_ of horses and chariots and slaves(241); and\nsouls(242) of men. 14 And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone\nfrom thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from\nthee, and _men_ shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these\nthings, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of\nher torment, weeping and mourning; 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city,\nshe that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked(243)\nwith gold and precious stone and pearl! 17 for in one hour so great riches\nis made desolate.\n\n(M104) And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and\nmariners, and as many as gain their living by sea(244), stood afar off, 18\nand cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What\n_city_ is like the great city? 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and\ncried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all\nthat had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her\ncostliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.\n\n(M105) 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles,\nand ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.\n\n(M106) 21 And a(245) strong angel took up a stone as it were a great\nmillstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall\nBabylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.\n22 And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute\u2010players and trumpeters\nshall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever\ncraft(246), shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a\nmill shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 and the light of a lamp\nshall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of\nthe bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were\nthe princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations\ndeceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and\nof all that have been slain upon the earth.\n\n\n(B) The Triumph of the Redeemed\n\n\nChapter 19.\n\n(M107) 1 After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great\nmultitude in heaven, saying,\n\n\n Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: 2\n for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the\n great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication,\n and he hath avenged the blood of his servants(247) at her hand.\n\n\n(M108) 3 And a second time they say(248), Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth\nup for ever and ever(249). 4 And the four and twenty elders and the four\nliving creatures fell down and worshipped(250) God that sitteth on the\nthrone, saying, Amen; Hallelujah. 5 And a voice came forth from the\nthrone, saying,\n\n\n Give praise to our God, all ye his servants, ye that fear him, the\n small and the great.\n\n\n6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice\nof many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying,\n\n\n Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigneth. 7 Let us\n rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him:\n for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made\n herself ready.\n\n\n(M109) 8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine\nlinen, bright _and_ pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the\nsaints.\n\n(M110) 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to\nthe marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true\nwords of God.\n\n(M111) 10 And I fell down before his feet to worship(251) him. And he\nsaith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow\u2010servant with thee and\nwith thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship(252) God: for\nthe testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.\n\n\n(C) The Last Things\n\n\n(M112) 11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he\nthat sat thereon called(253) Faithful and True; and in righteousness he\ndoth judge and make war. 12 And his eyes _are_ a flame of fire, and upon\nhis head _are_ many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one\nknoweth but he himself. 13 And he _is_ arrayed in a garment sprinkled\nwith(254) blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies\nwhich are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen,\nwhite _and_ pure. 15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that\nwith it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of\niron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness(255) of the wrath of\nGod, the Almighty. 16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name\nwritten, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.\n\n(M113) 17 And I saw an(256) angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a\nloud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come _and_ be\ngathered together unto the great supper of God; 18 that ye may eat the\nflesh of kings, and the flesh of captains(257), and the flesh of mighty\nmen, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh\nof all men, both free and bond, and small and great.\n\n(M114) 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their\narmies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse,\nand against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false\nprophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them\nthat had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped(258) his\nimage: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with\nbrimstone: 21 and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon\nthe horse, _even the sword_ which came forth out of his mouth: and all the\nbirds were filled with their flesh.\n\nChapter 20.\n\n(M115) 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of\nthe abyss and a great chain in(259) his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the\ndragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a\nthousand years, 3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut _it_, and sealed\n_it_ over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the\nthousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a\nlittle time.\n\n(M116) 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given\nunto them: and _I saw_ the souls of them that had been beheaded for the\ntestimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped(260)\nnot the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their\nforehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a\nthousand years. 5 The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years\nshould be finished. This is the first resurrection.\n\n(M117) (6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:\nover these the second death hath no power(261); but they shall be priests\nof God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a(262) thousand years.)\n\n(M118) 7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed\nout of his prison, 8 and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are\nin the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together\nto the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went\nup over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints\nabout, and the beloved city: and fire came down out(263) of heaven, and\ndevoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake\nof fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and\nthey shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever(264).\n\n(M119) 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from\nwhose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no\nplace for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing\nbefore the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened,\nwhich is _the book_ of life: and the dead were judged out of the things\nwhich were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea\ngave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead\nthat were in them: and they were judged every man according to their\nworks. 14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the\nsecond death, _even_ the lake of fire. 15 And if any was not found written\nin the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.\n\n\n7 The Vision of the New Jerusalem (The Throne after Victory)\n\n\nChapter 21.\n\n(M120) 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and\nthe first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.\n\n(M121) 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of\nheaven(265) from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.\n\n(M122) 3 And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the\ntabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell(266) with them, and they\nshall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, _and be_ their\nGod(267): 4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death\nshall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain,\nany more: the first things are passed away.\n\n(M123) 5 And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things\nnew. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true(268). 6\nAnd he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega,\nthe beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the\nfountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit\nthese things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But for the\nfearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators,\nand sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part _shall be_ in the\nlake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.\n\n(M124) 9 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls,\nwho were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spake with me, saying,\nCome hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb.\n\n(M125) 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and\nhigh, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven\nfrom God, 11 having the glory of God: her light(269) was like unto a stone\nmost precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal: 12 having a\nwall great and high; having twelve gates(270), and at the gates twelve\nangels; and names written thereon, which are _the names_ of the twelve\ntribes of the children of Israel: 13 on the east were three gates; and on\nthe north three gates; and on the south three gates(271); and on the west\nthree gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on\nthem twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.\n\n(M126) 15 And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to\nmeasure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the\ncity lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth:\nand he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the\nlength and the breadth and the height thereof are equal. 17 And he\nmeasured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, _according\nto_ the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.\n\n(M127) 18 And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city\nwas pure gold, like unto pure glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the\ncity were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation\nwas jasper; the second, sapphire(272); the third, chalcedony; the fourth,\nemerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh,\nchrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase;\nthe eleventh, jacinth(273); the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates\nwere twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and\nthe street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass(274).\n\n(M128) 22 And I saw no temple(275) therein: for the Lord God the Almighty,\nand the Lamb, are the temple(276) thereof. 23 And the city hath no need of\nthe sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did\nlighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb(277). 24 And the nations\nshall walk amidst(278) the light thereof: and the kings of the earth bring\ntheir glory into it. 25 And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by\nday (for there shall be no night there): 26 and they shall bring the glory\nand the honor of the nations into it: 27 and there shall in no wise enter\ninto it anything unclean(279), or he that maketh(280) an abomination and a\nlie: but only they that are written in the Lamb\u2019s book of life.\n\nChapter 22.\n\n(M129) 1 And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal,\nproceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the midst of the\nstreet thereof(281). And on this side of the river and on that was the\ntree(282) of life, bearing twelve _manner_ of fruits(283), yielding its\nfruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the\nnations.\n\n(M130) 3 And there shall be no curse(284) any more: and the throne of God\nand of the Lamb shall be therein: and his servants(285) shall serve him; 4\nand they shall see his face; and his name _shall be_ on their foreheads. 5\nAnd there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither\nlight of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light: and they shall reign\nfor ever and ever(286).\n\n\n\nIII The Epilogue\n\n\n1 The Final Words of the Angel with the Promise of Christ\n\n\n(M131) 6 And he said unto me, These words are faithful and true: and the\nLord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show unto\nhis servants the things which must shortly come to pass. 7 And behold, I\ncome quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this\nbook.\n\n(M132) 8 And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I\nheard and saw, I fell down to worship(287) before the feet of the angel\nthat showed me these things. 9 And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I\nam a fellow\u2010servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with\nthem that keep the words of this book: worship(288) God.\n\n(M133) 10 And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of\nthis book; for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unrighteous, let him do\nunrighteousness still(289): and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy\nstill: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he\nthat is holy, let him be made holy still.\n\n(M134) 12 Behold, I come quickly; and my reward(290) is with me, to render\nto each man according as his work is. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the\nfirst and the last, the beginning and the end. 14 Blessed are they that\nwash their robes, that they may have the right(291) _to come_ to the tree\nof life, and may enter in by the gates(292) into the city. 15 Without are\nthe dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and\nthe idolators, and every one that loveth and maketh(293) a lie.\n\n(M135) 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things\nfor(294) the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the\nbright, the morning star.\n\n\n2 The Closing Testimony of John\n\n\n(M136) 17 And(295) the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that\nheareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that\nwill, let him take the water of life freely.\n\n(M137) 18 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy\nof this book, If any man shall add unto(296) them, God shall add unto him\nthe plagues which are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take\naway from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his\npart from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are\nwritten(297) in this book.\n\n(M138) 20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen:\ncome, Lord Jesus.\n\n\n3 The Author\u2019s Benediction\n\n\n(M139) 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus(298) be with the(299) saints. Amen.\n\n\n\n\n\nANALYSIS AND NOTES\n\n\nThe Book of Revelation bears the inherent marks of a thoroughly wrought\nout and carefully finished literary production, showing evident traces of\ndesign and arrangement throughout, which constitute a studied setting for\nthe remarkable series of visions that contain its chief message to the\nchurch. Behind the outer form lies the deep experience of the author who\nreceived a fresh revelation of divine truth. To him God spoke in strange\nvisions and in a marvellous way about the divine purpose concerning his\npeople and the great world of men: for couched though it is in the strange\nfigures of Apocalyptic, a method of religious thought belonging to that\ntime, it yet bears to the Christian mind indisputable marks of divine\ninspiration. Moved by the visions which it records, John wrote to the\nchurches in Asia a message not only for them but for all believers in all\ntime; for its lessons lie not alone in the events of that age, but in the\nwider and permanent relations of the church and the world throughout the\ncenturies, and they appeal to us with new force as the varying conditions\ncontinue to change with the revolving years. The lessons of the book are\nfor us in our day no less than they have been for others in the past, and\nas they will be for still others in the advancing future; and though these\nlessons are not always easy to grasp or lightly to be understood, they are\nyet eminently worthy of our attentive study and patient consideration. The\nsynthetic analysis which is here given, attempts to set forth the main\nthought of the Revelation as it has been interpreted by many eminent\ncommentators, and it is presented in as concise a form as is consistent\nwith clearness for the benefit of the general reader, for the chief\npurpose of the present work is to make plain the symbolic view as it has\ntaken form in the mind of the writer. No extended discussion of the more\ndifficult portions of the book has been attempted, for a satisfactory\nconclusion is more often reached by careful thought than by elaborate\nargument, though it has seemed best to reinforce the view presented by\nconstant reference to well\u2010known authorities, and also to provide a brief\ncomparison of different opinions on the main points of disagreement for\nthose who desire further study.\n\nThe book is found upon examination to consist of three principal parts,\nwhich are those common to every finished composition, viz:\u2014\n\nI THE PROLOGUE, OR INTRODUCTION, Ch. 1:1\u20103:23;\nII THE MAIN APOCALYPSE, OR REVELATION PROPER, Ch. 4:1\u201022:5; and\nIII THE EPILOGUE, OR CONCLUSION, Ch. 22:6\u201021.\n\nThis division is one generally accepted by those who have studied the\nbook, for it is to most minds both natural and obvious, though some make\nthe Introduction end with the first chapter, and include the Epistles to\nthe Churches in the second part. As these, however, are not so markedly\nApocalyptic in form as the chapters that follow, and do not enter into the\nchief message of the book, but rather serve to prepare the way for it,\nthey are more properly regarded as part of the Introduction.\n\n\n\n\nI The Prologue, Ch. 1:1\u20103:22\n\n\nThe introductory and epistolary portions of the book which occupy the\nfirst three chapters, consist of four parts, viz. the superscription, the\nsalutation, a vision of the exalted Redeemer, and messages to the seven\nchurches in Asia. These give the source and authority of the Revelation,\nconvey a greeting to the seven churches that are named, set forth the\npresent activity of Christ in his redemptive work with the certainty of\nhis personal return, and then present particular messages to each of the\nchurches in Asia, which through their general condition afford a\nperspective view of the continuous and varied experience of the whole\nchurch in the process of redemption. These preliminary parts of the book,\nalso, serve to introduce the great theme which is to occupy the subsequent\nrevelation, viz. Christ and the Church through Time to Eternity. The style\nis at once that of Apocalyptic, though the form is less characteristic in\nthe second and third chapters than in the first and subsequent ones; the\nliterary construction is marked by obvious and sustained artistic skill;\nand the subject\u2010matter shows a profound inner connection of thought with\nthe visions that follow, affording a clear indication of the unity of the\nwhole work that should not be overlooked in our study of the book.(300)\n\n\n\n1 The Superscription, Ch. 1:1\u20103\n\n\nIn the superscription the book is described, its history and contents are\ngiven (v. 1\u20102), and a blessing is pronounced (v. 3) upon those who read\nit, i. e. aloud before the congregation (\u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03b3\u03b9\u03bd\u03ce\u03c3\u03ba\u03c9\u03bd), and those who hear\nand keep the things written therein, an indication that they were expected\nto be understood. This blessing is the first of seven beatitudes found in\nthe book (see App\u2019x C), and serves to show that the office of public\nreader in the primitive church was established in the first century,\nevidently because of a general lack of education among the early converts.\nThe book is declared to be the Revelation or Apocalypse of things about to\nhappen,\u2014not a revelation which has Jesus Christ for its subject,(301) but\n\u201cthe things which must shortly come to pass\u201d, a phrase that is best\ninterpreted as a prophetic formula for the uncertain future which is\nalways near with God (cf. Lu. 18:8), and not to be taken in the stricter\nsense of limiting the prophecy to the immediate future,(302)\u2014to have been\ngiven of God (v. 1), and to have been made of, i. e. through or by, Jesus\nChrist as the communicating witness,(303) to have been sent by the\ninstrument of an angel, and to have been testified to by John, who\nwitnessed concerning the word of God and the testimony of Jesus\nChrist(304) which he received through the visions that are herein\nrecorded. These introductory verses (v. 1\u20103) are usually regarded as an\nintegral part of the book, though they are thought by some to have been\nadded afterward as an introduction and authorization by the church,\nprobably by the elders at Ephesus.(305)\n\n\n\n2 The Salutation, Ch. 1:4\u20108\n\n\nThe salutation is an address and greeting of grace and peace to the seven\nchurches in Asia from John, in the name of each person of the triune God,\nviz:\u2014(1) in the name of the Father, who is designated as \u201chim who is and\nwho was and who is to come\u201d,(306) i. e. whose existence is alike present,\npast, and future, the Eternal One, and expansion of the sacred name\nJehovah, the I AM, or the I WILL BE, of Hebrew historic faith (cf. Ex.\n3:14, Am. R. V., marg.); (2) in the name of the Holy Spirit, who is\ntypified by \u201cthe seven Spirits that are before his throne\u201d as being seven\u2010\nfold in his operation, i. e. complete and perfect (cf. Isa. 11:2);(307)\nand (3) in the name of Jesus Christ, who is presented as \u201cthe faithful\nwitness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the\nearth\u201d, whose redemptive work is declared in a doxology of praise (v. 5b\nand 6) which is rendered unto him as the one \u201cthat loveth us, and washed\nus from our sins in his own blood\u201d,(308) and whose coming again is notably\nheralded\u2014a pivotal thought throughout the book.(309) The descriptive\nphrase \u201cthe firstborn of the dead\u201d is an evident recognition of Christ as\nthe first to conquer death by resurrection. The closing part of the\nsalutation (v. 7\u20108) is exclamatory and parenthetical, and forms a kind of\nprelude to all that follows, affirming the certainty of the second advent\nas if already present, and introducing at this point the divine witness,\nwhich is generally attributed to Christ who speaks as God, affirming\nhimself to be the source and end of all things, the Eternal and All\u2010Ruler,\nwhose word stands as surety for the fulfilment of the visions. The fact of\nGod as All\u2010Ruler (\u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03ba\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03c1, \u201cthe Almighty\u201d),(310) and the realization\nof that fact in history, \u201cconstitutes the deep undertone which pervades\nevery part of the Apocalypse, and rises here and there into its loftiest\nstrains\u201d. Terms like this, never applied to any but God in the Old\nTestament, and well understood as belonging only to the Divine Being, are\nfreely used of Christ in the Revelation, showing how fully his divine\nnature was realized in that stage of the church\u2019s experience. The\nconnection of the eighth verse may properly be considered as the answering\nvoice of Christ to the cry of John in the seventh, \u201cBehold he cometh\u201d!\n\n\n\n3 The Introductory Vision (The Glorified Son of Man), Ch. 1:9\u201020\n\n\nThis vision presents a transcendent Christophany, unfolding the source of\nthe Revelation, and introductory to all that follows throughout the book;\na view of the glorified Son of Man in his exalted relation to the church\nas King\u2010Priest, manifesting his dignity and authority in bold and striking\nimagery through a seven\u2010fold vision.\n\n\n(1) The Trumpet Voice, Ch. 1:9\u201011\n\n\nA great voice is heard, making a special revelation to John as he partook\nwith the saints in the tribulation of Jesus(311) in the isle of Patmos,\noff the coast of Asia Minor,(312) where he was banished for the word of\nGod and the testimony of Jesus, when he was in the Spirit, i. e. in the\necstatic state peculiar to the prophets, on the Lord\u2019s day;(313) speaking\nbehind him, i. e. while the speaker was yet unseen, in a voice as of a\ntrumpet, commanding him to write the things which he saw in a book (v.\n11), and to send it to the seven churches which are then named, the chief\nchurches in Asia, to whom the message of the Revelation is addressed as\nthe typical representatives of all the churches throughout the world. The\nhuman name Jesus is here found twice in one verse (v. 9), and occurs in\nthe Revelation nine (or ten) times, whereas it is seldom used by Paul and\nnever by Peter in the Epistles. This seems to point toward the Johannine\nauthorship, for the name that belonged to the earthly life of our Lord was\nnot likely to be used by one who had not known Jesus in familiar\nfellowship.(314)\n\n\n(2) The Triumphant Son of Man, Ch. 1:12\u201013a\n\n\nThe divine Savior at this point appears in the vision as \u201cone like unto a\nson of man\u201d, i. e. human though transfigured, standing in the midst of\nseven golden candlesticks, or lampstands, which represent in symbol the\nseven churches of Asia bearing light on the earth, and in a wider sense\nthe whole church in its completeness witnessing for the truth, for seven\nis the number of universality\u2014a scene recalling the temple, and indicating\nChrist\u2019s triumphant and continual presence in the midst of his\npeople.(315)\n\n\n(3) The Gracious Apparel, Ch. 1:13b\n\n\nThe Divine One is clothed with a garment down to the foot, the mark of\ndignity, and is girded about with a golden girdle at the breasts as for\nreigning or priestly intercession, not about the loins as for toil or\nconflict, indicating the nature of Christ\u2019s present and continuous work on\nbehalf of his church.\n\n\n(4) The Glorious Appearance, Ch. 1:14\u201015, and 16c\n\n\nThe revealed Son of Man is majestic in form and mien, and wondrous in\nappearance, like the Ancient of Days in Daniel\u2019s vision (Dan. 7.9f), his\nhead and hair like wool in purity and majesty, his eyes penetrating and\nenkindling as a flame of fire, his feet awe\u2010striking and destructive like\nmolten brass glowing in a furnace, his voice sounding like the roar of\ncataracts, and his countenance like to the unclouded sun\u2014symbols all of\nthese of his exalted state, and perhaps intended to present a reminiscence\nof the transfiguration. The Greek word \u03a7\u03b1\u03bb\u03ba\u03bf\u03bb\u03af\u03b2\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 (v. 15), translated\n\u201cburnished brass\u201d by the Revisers, is of unknown origin, and occurs only\nhere and in ch. 2:18. It is thought to have been a technical term in local\nuse among the metal workers of Ephesus, and to apply to some alloy of\ncopper or brass.(316) The literal interpretation of the word is \u201cincense\u2010\nbrass\u201d, which suggests a metal used for making utensils in which to burn\nincense, evidently precious, and having a glow in the furnace, or like a\nfurnace.\n\n\n(5) The Seven Stars, Ch. 1:16a\n\n\nThe Glorious One has in his right hand seven stars, which, we are told (v.\n20), are the angels, or heavenly representatives of the seven churches, i.\ne. Christ holds the churches in his right hand, for the stars and the\nangels are declared to be identical.(317) It will be seen that the seven\nangels, which stand as the ideal representatives of the churches\nthroughout the first part of the Revelation, are here presented under\nanother symbol, as seven stars which are upheld in the hand of Christ\n\u201clike a chain of glittering jewels\u201d, thereby showing his sustaining care\nof the churches. The angels of the churches that are symbolized by the\nstars, are not to be regarded as true angelic beings any more than the\nstars are real stars, but are the churches themselves personified by\nangelic forms after the manner of the Apocalyptic. The figure is not\nproperly applicable to the bishops, pastors, or leaders of the churches,\nthough often so interpreted, for these are leaders upon earth, whereas the\nangels like the stars belong in heaven.(318)\n\n\n(6) The Two\u2010Edged Sword, Ch. 1:16b\n\n\nOut of the mouth of the Conquering Christ proceeds a sharp two\u2010edged\nsword,(319) the emblem of the Word of God in its penetrating power (cf.\nEph. 6:17b, and Heb. 4:12) which is designed both to reprove and punish,\nand which serves to show that the divine Christ speaks with supreme\nauthority.\n\n\n(7) The Assuring Message, Ch. 1:17\u201020\n\n\nThe Gracious Savior reassures John, who fell at his feet as one who was\ndead, both by his touch and by his words as of old on the holy mount (Mat.\n17:7); declaring that he, the Son of Man, is the first cause, and final\narbiter of destiny, the ever living one though once dead; affirming that\nhe has the keys of death and of Hades,(320) i. e. through his own\nresurrection has forever gained the power over death, holding the key of\nits control, and has also the key of Hades, the invisible spirit\u2010world,\nwhich is commonly associated with death in the New Testament as the\ngeneral habitation of the dead during the intermediate state (not \u201chell\u201d,\nas in the Authorized Version); and reaffirming the command to John to\nwrite therefore the things which he saw in a book, viz. \u201cthe things which\nare\u201d, i. e. which now exist, looked at from the divine point of view as\nbeheld in the vision, and \u201cthe things which shall come to pass hereafter\u201d,\ni. e. which shall be made manifest in history, those things that belong to\nthe mystery(321) of the seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks, or\nto the mysterious and hidden future of the church of Christ in the world\nwhich the seven churches represent in its ideal unity.\n\nThe change of symbols in this vision is apt to be confusing unless we\ncatch the distinctive meaning of each. Three different symbols are here\nused to represent the churches, each presenting a different point of view,\nviz:\u2014(1) the angels, who represent the churches in their individual and\norganic life, engaged in active service for God; (2) the stars, which\nrepresent the churches in their relation to Christ, receiving and\nreflecting light from him and upheld by his hand; and (3) the\ncandlesticks, which represent the churches in their relation to the world,\nbearing light to men upon the earth. If these distinctions are kept in\nmind the interpretation will be greatly simplified. At this point it may\nalso be well to note that the view which regards the visions in the\nRevelation as purely literary in origin, fails to satisfy the\ncircumstantial account of John. On the contrary we find it is more in\naccord with the spirit of the record to regard them not as literary\ninventions in which the message is clothed, but as true visions divinely\ngiven which were, nevertheless, essentially adapted to and conditioned by\nthe previous mental training and habits of the writer\u2014the product of an\nethical and not a magical inspiration. In fact the reality of the visions\nis in some sense coming now to be recognized upon psychological grounds as\nthe natural view.(322) And it should also be seen that the studied\nliterary setting of the visions, indicating arrangement and design upon\nthe part of the seer in his record of them, does not militate against the\nview that the visions were real and the experience recorded an actual one.\nBut, \u201ceven were the supposition correct that the seer had only certain\ntruths divinely impressed upon his mind, which his poetic fancy led him to\nclothe in the shapes before us, it would in no degree modify either the\nextent of his inspiration or the value of his teaching\u201d.(323)\n\n\n\n4 The Seven Epistles, Ch. 2:1\u20103:22\n\n\nThe seven epistles are Christ\u2019s messages of encouragement and warning, of\npraise and blame, which were given to John in vision, and which are\naddressed to the seven churches of proconsular Asia,(324) the scene of\nJohn\u2019s later ministry, and through them to the church at large, for each\nepistle contains not only a message to the particular church, but \u201cwhat\nthe Spirit saith to [all] the churches\u201d. The form of epistles or letters\nin an apocalypse was foreign to the Jewish method of writing, but was\ndoubtless introduced by John because the use of such letters or epistles\nhad already become established in the church as a characteristic\nexpression of the Christian mind.(325) These seven churches were not the\nonly ones then existing in Asia,(326) but were evidently chosen to\nrepresent them all, and were intended through their individual experience\n\u201cto exemplify the experience of the whole church in the field of history\u201d;\nnot, however, in numerically successive and historic stages, but the\ngeneral experience of the church universal throughout all time, for seven\nis the symbol of universality, and the seven churches are here intended to\nsymbolize the universal church. Each of the seven churches named occupied\na strategic point of special opportunity for gospel dispersion, and they\nwere doubtless addressed for that reason, though the message imparted was\ndivinely intended for the whole church in all the ages. The number seven\noccurs so often in the Revelation that it necessarily attracts our\nattention, and the book itself has not inaptly been styled \u201cthe Book of\nSevens\u201d. In each case, too, as here, the number has a symbolic reference,\na fact that should not escape our observation, for it points the way to a\ngeneral principle of interpretation, viz. that _every number used\nthroughout the book, without exception, has an acquired symbolical\nmeaning_,(327) i. e. its ordinary arithmetical value is ignored, or\nbecomes subordinate, and it represents a different idea that has in some\nway become associated with it as a number; and this important\nconsideration often furnishes a key to the correct interpretation. The\norigin of this symbolism is very early, antedating history\u2014seven, for\nexample, was a sacred number with the Accadian predecessors of the Semites\nin the remote dawn of Babylonian civilization.(328) This use probably had\nits rise from observations of the heavenly bodies, such as the phases of\nthe moon lasting seven days, the seven planets of ancient astronomy, and\nthe Pleiades, together with the occurrence of seven as a factor in\ngestation and in other well known phenomena, all of which served to\nimpress upon the Eastern mind that the number was somehow inwrought in the\norder of nature and must therefore have a special significance. In a\nsimilar way the number ten probably had its origin as a symbol in the fact\nthat it represented the complete number of digits on a man\u2019s hands, and\nformed the norm of mathematical reckoning. Other numbers, also, from some\nreal or fancied relation to things, became ready symbols for the Oriental\nmind. In the Apocalypse numbers are often introduced first in their\nordinary significance, as the seven churches, and then pass easily and\nnaturally to their symbolic meaning which is usually apparent. But it\nshould be seen that a number does not thereby cease to have a quantitative\nvalue when it becomes symbolical, e. g. the seven churches represent a\nnumber still, though it is the number of all the churches, the whole\nchurch, and not seven units as before. It is the definite numerical value\nonly that is lost in the symbolism, and not the entire idea of number or\nquantity; and the failure to recognize this fact may lead us astray in the\ninterpretation, as for instance, in that of the thousand years in chapter\ntwenty, where a great and complete number of years seems to be meant, and\nnot the completeness of Satan\u2019s binding apart from any period of time, as\nheld by some commentators.(329)\n\nEach epistle is addressed to the angel of the individual church which is\nnamed, i. e. to its heavenly representative, the church personified in the\nform of an angel according to the prevailing symbolism of the book, a\npoetic form of addressing the church itself; and the message is given by\nauthority of Christ himself,(330) who is described in veiled terms that\nare drawn mainly from the imagery of the preceding vision, where the\nexalted Redeemer is so vividly set forth; and the terms are aptly chosen\nto suit the particular needs of the church to which it is sent. It has\nbeen suggested, also, that these epistles to the churches contain numerous\nhistorical allusions to events connected with the cities in which the\nchurches were located, as for example Sardis, whose fortress had been\ntwice captured while its people slept, is exhorted to be watchful.(331)\nThe epistles are addressed first to the individual and historic churches\nnamed, and then through them are addressed to the whole church throughout\nthe world, of which the number seven is representative. Each of the\nepistles contains seven component parts, viz:\u2014(1) the address to the\nindividual church, i. e. to the angel of the church who represents the\nchurch itself; (2) the command of Christ to the seer to write; (3) the\ntitle of Christ, usually taken from the vision of the glorified Redeemer\nin the opening chapter; (4) the praise or blame for good or ill, given to\nthe church for the conduct of the past; (5) the divine charge or warning\nagainst special forms of sin; (6) the promise of blessing to the victors;\nand (7) the call to each individual Christian to hear and heed. The order\nin which the churches are addressed is that of a geographical circuit\nbeginning at Ephesus, the first city of Asia, and going northward, which\nseems also to have been the order of their importance from the chief city\ndownward. The literary form of this section may be regarded as a\nreflection or echo of the manner of the opening part of the rhapsody of\nAmos where recurrent formul\u00e6 of doom on seven nations are given (Amos ch.\n1\u20102).(332)\n\n\n(1) The Epistle to the Church in Ephesus, Ch. 2:1\u20107\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Ephesus is Christ\u2019s message to a _declining_\nchurch, a church which had left its first love:\u2014\u201cRemember ... and repent\u201d.\nIn this epistle Christ is \u201che that walketh in the midst of the seven\ngolden candlesticks\u201d, and \u201che that holdeth the seven stars in his right\nhand\u201d, i. e. he who is continually present among the churches, and who\nupholds them by his power. The candlesticks are objective representations\nof the seven churches bearing light upon the earth, as in the prophecy of\nZechariah (ch. 4:1\u201010) a seven\u2010branched candlestick stands for the Jewish\nnation as the representative of the kingdom of God; while the seven stars,\nthe counterpart of the candlesticks, represent the churches held in the\nhand of Christ shining in heaven. In this symbolism it will be seen that\nthe stars represent the churches in their relation to Christ, while the\ncandlesticks are intended to exhibit their relation to the world. To move\nthe \u201ccandlestick out of its place\u201d is a threatening of extinction to the\nparticular church unless it repent. Those \u201cwho call themselves apostles\nand they are not\u201d, were probably well known pretenders of the closing part\nof the first century. The Nicolaitans here condemned, were an early\nobscure sect concerning which little is known, but who are reputed to have\nbeen libertines and seem to have denied the obligation of the moral law.\nThe epistle is declared to contain, as we find the other epistles are\nalso, \u201cwhat the Spirit saith to the churches\u201d, a clear indication of a\nwider message than to the individual community of the separate\nchurch.(333) \u201cTo eat of the tree of life\u201d as the reward of overcoming, is\na reference to the story of Eden (Gen. 3:22), and then by anticipation to\nthe joys of the New Jerusalem which are the inheritance of the redeemed\nsoul (cf. ch. 22:2; and _Bk. of Enoch_, 25:4\u20105). Paradise, a word rarely\nused in the New Testament and probably of Persian origin, is here employed\nto describe the future abiding place of the redeemed.(334) The church of\nEphesus, to which this epistle is addressed, is the chief of the seven\nchurches to whom John was instructed to write, though it has long since\nceased to exist. The city of Ephesus, which was some sixty miles northeast\nof Patmos and was then a large and wealthy metropolis, has experienced\nmore vicissitudes in its history than any other city of the Roman province\nof Asia. At that time it ranked first among all the cities of the\nprovince, and shortly after it became the capital; but it subsequently\nfell into decay, and it is now only a squalid heap of ruins.\n\n\n(2) The Epistle to the Church in Smyrna, Ch. 2:8\u201011\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Smyrna is Christ\u2019s message to a _suffering_\nchurch, a church which had endured tribulation, poverty, and the blasphemy\nof the Jews:\u2014\u201cFear not.... Be thou faithful\u201d. Christ is here described as\n\u201cthe first and the last, who was dead and lived again\u201d, a thought of\nspecial consolation for those who were about to be cast into prison in the\ncoming persecution, and many of whom would suffer death\u2014like Christ they\nwould live again. There is, also, a possible allusion in this to the\npopular myth concerning the death and resurrection of Dionysius, the\nfavorite deity of Smyrna,(335) with which the death and resurrection of\nChrist, the notable facts of the gospel, are placed in marked contrast.\nThe recognized poverty of the church in such a rich city is remarkable,\nand it has been suggested that it may have been partly at least the result\nof pillage by a mob;(336) though more likely the feeling against the\ngospel in the midst of wealth like that of Smyrna was so strong as to make\nits message unacceptable to any but the very poor. It will be seen that\nthe church receives no blame in this epistle, but only counsel and\nencouragement. The ten days of tribulation represent a period that is\nshort but complete in itself, i. e. it has a fixed limit, for ten is the\nnumber of completeness. The crown of life promised to the victors is not\nthe royal diadem but the victor\u2019s crown, which is the symbol of life\neternal, and is the antithesis of the second death, i. e. of the soul in\nhell (cf. ch. 20:14; and 21:8). John may have here had in mind the crown\noften laid upon the head of the dead body of an earthly victor in his\nfuneral procession\u2014a crown of death with which the crown of life is placed\nin apposition. The second death by which \u201che that overcometh shall not be\nhurt\u201d, is the death of the soul\u2014not ceasing to be, but dying to the best\nin life\u2014the final condemnation which sinners undergo at the judgment.\nSmyrna is located some forty miles north, and somewhat west, of Ephesus,\nand was one of the most wealthy, important, and beautiful cities of Asia\nMinor. It has an unbroken record from the dawn of history to the present\nday, and now has a population of some two hundred and fifty thousand, and\nis both rich and prosperous.\n\n\n(3) The Epistle to the Church in Pergamus(337), Ch. 2:12\u201017\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Pergamus is Christ\u2019s message to an _impure_\nchurch, a church which had some that held the teaching of Balaam, and\nothers the teaching of the Nicolaitans:\u2014\u201cRepent ... or else I come with\nthe sword\u201d. To this church Christ is \u201che that hath the sharp two\u2010edged\nsword\u201d, i. e. who wields the instrument of rebuke and punishment. The\nlocation of Satan\u2019s throne in Pergamus denotes that the city was under his\ndominion, and may refer to the newly introduced worship of the Emperor in\nwhich that city was recognized as an important center;(338) while the\ndeath of Antipas, an otherwise unknown martyr, called \u201cmy witness, my\nfaithful one\u201d, and also the presence of those holding the teaching of\nBalaam,(339) the symbolic name for a doctrine akin to the Nicolaitans,\nserve to show that it was truly a place \u201cwhere Satan dwelleth\u201d. The\naptness of the name lies in the similarity of Balaam\u2019s method of seducing\nthe Israelites by licentiousness, and that of the false teachers who were\nintroducing Antinomianism (cf. Num. 25:1\u20102; and 31:16). The hidden manna\nrepresents the true bread of life, and is doubtless an allusion to the pot\nof manna laid up before the Lord in the hidden recesses of the holy place\nin the tabernacle (Ex. 16:33f.). There may also be a reference to the\nJewish tradition that Jeremiah had hidden the ark with its contents in a\ncave of Sinai until the advent of the Messiah (_II Macc._ 2.1), when it\nwas be restored. The white stone is probably the jade, which has been held\nin high esteem in the East from the earliest times,(340) although some\nthink it refers to the diamond. White stands as the emblem of purity, but\nthe exact symbolism of the stone in this connection is obscure, though\nclear enough to the first readers of the epistle. The figure may possibly\nhave been drawn from the Jewish sacred use of precious stones, especially\nof the mysterious Urim and Thummim kept in the pouch of the breastplate of\nthe high priest, which according to Jewish tradition were inscribed with a\nname known only to the priest himself.(341) The gift would then imply the\nconferring of high\u2010priestly privileges on those who overcome. Some,\nhowever, find in it a reference to the white pebble of acquittal used in\ncourts of justice, or in casting the lot; others a reference to the\n_tessera_, or ticket, which admitted the victor in the Olympic games to\nthe public tables, and entitled him to the awards of his city; still\nothers a reference to the common use of amulets and charms with a secret\nname or pass\u2010word on them, in that case the white stone conferring the\nreal power which the charm was assumed to have.(342) But more probably the\nreference is to a stone engraved as a seal, with the name of Christ upon\nit, the gift of which like the signet of a king (Gen. 41:42 and Est.\n8:2f.) is regarded as bestowing something of the royal authority of Christ\nupon the recipient. Precious stones of different shapes were commonly used\nfor seals, and were often unmounted and hung by a cord about the neck; and\nthe name of the owner and of the deity whom he specially worshipped were\nengraved upon them.(343) Every man of rank and wealth in the East from\ntime immemorial had his own seal; and among the Babylonians so constant\nand imperative were its uses that it was generally placed with his body in\nhis coffin.(344) In all these interpretations the gift carries with it\nspecial privilege or advantage, though the chief virtue of the stone\napparently lies in the name written upon it. The \u201cnew name\u201d is not\nprobably a new designation for the believer, but the new name of Christ\n(ch. 3:12) which is expressive of the new and more perfect revelation of\nhim in heaven that only the redeemed can know (ch. 14:1). Many, however,\nregard the new name as the heavenly name of the individual Christian,(345)\nand this would be quite as appropriate for a seal as the name of Christ.\nPergamus was about a hundred miles north of Ephesus, and less than fifteen\nfrom the sea. It was at that time the official capital of the Province of\nAsia, and the seat of official authority. It ranked with Ephesus and\nSmyrna as one of the great cities of proconsular Asia, and though it is\nnow chiefly \u201ca city of magnificent ruins\u201d, it still continues to exist\nunder the name of Bergama at the present day.\n\n\n(4) The Epistle to the Church in Thyatira, Ch. 2:18\u201029\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Thyatira is Christ\u2019s message to a\n_struggling_ church, a church which had shown love and faith, ministry and\npatience:\u2014\u201cHold fast till I come\u201d. Christ is called \u201cthe Son of God, who\nhath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished\n[or molten] brass\u201d, i. e. he who is divine, and whose all\u2010searching sight\nand destroying footstep will surely recompense the evil (cf. Dan. 10:6).\nIt is interesting to note that the title \u201cSon of God\u201d which is here used\nis not found elsewhere in the book, though the divine personality of\nChrist is so evident throughout. Jezebel, the self\u2010styled prophetess that\nthe church had tolerated, but who with her children is about to be\npunished with death, is probably the symbolic name of a class or leader in\nthe church, seducing it to sin.(346) The angel of the church is regarded\nas the weak Ahab who allows himself to be the tool of this new\nJezebel.(347) \u201cThe deep things of Satan\u201d designate the mysteries of the\nfalse doctrine here condemned.(348) \u201cThe morning star\u201d to be given to\nthose who overcome,(349) is such a revelation of Christ himself (ch.\n22:16b) made to the redeemed when the night of earth is over as will usher\nin the morning of eternal day\u2014the beginning of the future and ever\nprogressive revelation of God. The titles applied to Christ in this\nepistle, \u201cSon of God\u201d, and \u201cmorning star\u201d, have suggested a possible\ncontrast in thought with Apollo, the sun\u2010god worshipped at Thyatira,\nthough such an allusion is quite uncertain. The epistle to this church is\nthe central one of the seven, and is the longest as well as in some\nrespects the most solemn of all the epistles. Thyatira lay about forty\nmiles southeast from Pergamus, and was an important and wealthy city in\nthe northern part of Lydia, though it never became a leading city of Asia.\nThe modern name of the town is Ak\u2010Hissar, \u201cthe white castle\u201d.\n\n\n(5) The Epistle to the Church in Sardis, Ch. 3:1\u20106\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Sardis is Christ\u2019s message to a _dying_\nchurch, a church which had a name as living and yet in a sense was\ndead:\u2014\u201cEstablish the things that remain\u201d. Christ is designated as \u201che that\nhath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars\u201d, i. e. he that hath\nthe Holy Spirit, whom the seven Spirits represent in his sevenfold or\nmultiple activity, and\u2014as seems to be implied by connecting the seven\nSpirits with the seven stars or angels of the churches\u2014imparts the Spirit\nto the churches, upon which their life so fully depends. This church\nreceives only rebuke, but the rebuke given is for lack of spiritual life\nrather than for any special form of sin. It is declared to have no works\nfulfilled before God\u2014\u201cbefore my God\u201d, a Johannean phrase\u2014and is exhorted\nto \u201cremember ... and repent\u201d, for Christ \u201cwill come as a thief\u201d;(350) but\nthe \u201cfew names [or persons] in Sardis that did not defile their garments\u201d\nare promised that they shall walk with Christ \u201cin white\u201d. The white\ngarments here promised to the victors are emblems of the perfect purity\nand heavenly state of the glorified (cf. _Bk. of Enoch_, 90:31);(351)\nwhile to blot one\u2019s name out of the book of life,(352) a fate from which\nthose who overcome are declared to be exempt, is to cease to have any part\nin the life eternal\u2014a figure drawn from the custom of striking out the\nnames of the dead from the list of citizens. Not only shall the name of\nhim that overcometh be found in the register of the living, but it shall\nalso be acknowledged before God and the angels. The command to \u201cWatch\u201d was\na fitting exhortation for a city that was a well\u2010nigh impregnable\nfortress, and yet had twice been seized by its enemies because of neglect\nwithin its walls.(353) The exhortation to \u201chear what the Spirit saith to\nthe churches\u201d, in the last four of the epistles, it will be seen, follows\ninstead of precedes the promise to the victors. This does not, however,\nimply that a distinction is thereby intended between the churches,\ndividing them into two groups, the first consisting of three and the\nsecond of four, the former faithful and the latter faithless, a view held\nby some.(354) The difference is conceded to be chiefly one of \u201ctone ...\nwhich it is easier to feel than to describe\u201d,(355) and it must be said\nthat for most minds it does not exist. The church in Philadelphia, among\nthe last four, is a steadfast church, while the church at Pergamus, among\nthe first three, is an impure church in the view of many careful\ninterpreters; and Ephesus has evidently gone back, while Thyatira has gone\nforward. The city of Sardis, to which this letter was addressed, lay about\nthirty miles south\u2010east of Thyatira, and was anciently one of the most\nfamous cities of Asia; but even in John\u2019s time it was \u201ca town of the past\n... decayed from its former estate ... and it is now only a ruin, with a\ntiny village called Sart, while the town is Saliki, about five miles\neast\u201d.(356)\n\n\n(6) The Epistle to the Church in Philadelphia, Ch. 3:7\u201013\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Philadelphia is Christ\u2019s message to a\n_steadfast_ church, a church which had kept his word and had not denied\nhis name:\u2014\u201cHold fast ... that no one take thy crown\u201d. Christ is set forth\nas \u201che that is holy, he that is true\u201d, i. e. he who possesses these\nattributes which are recognized as divine; and \u201che that hath the key of\nDavid\u201d, i. e. he who has full control in the kingdom of God, of which the\nkingdom of David was the enduring type (cf. Isa. 22:22), he who grants or\nwithholds according to his will. These titles of Christ, it will be seen,\nare not taken from the introductory vision, like most of those in the\nseven epistles, but from the Old Testament, probably, as has been\nsuggested, because of the number of Jewish Christians in the Philadelphian\nchurch. The \u201cdoor opened\u201d is one of opportunity for service afforded by\nthe position of Philadelphia on the borders of Mysia, Lydia, and\nPhrygia.(357) Those \u201cthat say they are Jews and they are not\u201d, are men\nuntrue to their Judaism in rejecting the promised Messiah; for to John\u2019s\nmind it was evident that only such Jews as believe in Jesus could belong\nto the real people of God. \u201cThe hour of trial\u201d (Gr. \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03bc\u03bf\u1fe6\u2014of _the_\ntrial), \u201cthat hour which is to come upon the whole world\u201d, seems to be\nhere equivalent to \u201cthe great tribulation\u201d spoken of by our Lord (Matt.\n24:21), and serves to introduce that element of shadow which ever hung in\nthe background of Apocalyptic perspective. But the crisis at hand is not\nnecessarily the end; the general tenor of the Revelation would rather show\nthat it is only one of many crises that constantly progress toward the\nend.(358) The reward of overcoming is to be made \u201ca pillar in the temple\nof God\u201d, i. e. in the \u03bd\u03b1\u1f78\u03c2 or inner sanctuary of the heavenly temple where\nGod dwells, not so much for support as for glory and for beauty, like the\npillars of brass in Solomon\u2019s temple (I K. 7:15f.), though perhaps with\nthe additional idea of permanence and strength (cf. _II Esdra._ 2.15).\n\nThe pillar was not only a prominent part of ancient temples, but was often\nsculptured in human shape(359)\u2014a beautiful conception of man\u2019s relation to\nreligion. Also the name of God, of the city of God, and of the Son of God,\nChrist\u2019s own new name known only to himself, are to be written upon the\nvictors in token of absolute divine ownership\u2014three, the sign of the\nspiritual, being perhaps also in mind in the use of three names.\nPhiladelphia, which lay about twenty\u2010eight miles southeast from Sardis,\nreceives unmixed praise, and the city remains almost unchanged unto this\nday, though it has been transformed into the Mohammedan town of Ala\u2010\nSheker, \u201cthe reddish city\u201d, a name derived from the speckled, red brown\nhills around. It is renowned as having had the most glorious history of\nall the cities of Asia Minor in the long struggle against the Turks;(360)\nand it is a remarkable fact that the churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna,\nthe two which receive no censure in these epistles, both continue to exist\nunto the present time.\n\n\n(7) The Epistle to the Church in Laodicea, Ch. 3:14\u201022\n\n\nThe epistle to the church in Laodicea is Christ\u2019s message to a _self\u2010\ndeceived_ church, a church which had grown lukewarm and was neither cold\nnor hot:\u2014\u201cBe zealous ... and repent\u201d. In this final letter Christ is\ncalled \u201cthe Amen [cf. Isa. 65:16, R. V. marg.], the faithful and true\nwitness\u201d,(361) as a sure guaranty of the fulfilment of the promises; and\nhe is also declared to be \u201cthe beginning of the creation of God\u201d, i. e.\nnot, indeed, the first whom God created, for Christ is not a creature, but\nrather he is the primal source and causative agent in divine\ncreation,(362) the One who began the creation of God, whether the material\ncreation that waxeth old or the new creation that endureth forever. The\nchurch is openly rebuked for a tepid Christianity that is nauseous to\nChrist, a religion that is \u201cneither cold nor hot\u201d. Laodicea was a city of\ntrade and enterprise, but John regarded the church as \u201cdevoid of\ninitiative\u201d in Christian work. The phrase \u201cthou sayest I am rich ... and\nhave need of nothing\u201d, perhaps reflects the boast of the city which, proud\nof its wealth, had lately refused help from the liberality of the Emperor\nafter being destroyed by an earthquake (A. D. 60); and the exhortation \u201cI\ncounsel thee to buy of me gold\u201d, is perhaps a reference to the heavenly\nriches as far surpassing the earthly which the people of the city\npossessed. The \u201cwhite garments\u201d, the type of a pure life, may be here\nintended to be put in contrast with those produced from the glossy black\nwool of the sheep for which the place was noted; and the \u201ceye\u2010salve\u201d to be\ncontrasted with the noted eye\u2010powder of the neighboring temple of\nAsklepios, as the restorer of spiritual vision.(363) Laodicea during the\nRoman period attained great prosperity, and was the meeting place of the\nCouncil of Laodicea in A. D. 361, but has long since been ruined and\ndeserted. It lay some sixty miles southeast of Philadelphia, and east of\nEphesus, in the valley of the Lycus, and was the leading bishopric of\nPhrygia throughout the Christian period.(364) In this closing epistle of\nthe seven the climax of promise is reached in the assurance that \u201che that\novercometh\u201d shall sit with Christ in his Messiah throne (v. 21), i. e.\nshall share with him in the glory and rule of the church triumphant. This\npromise seems to take a forward glance to the vision of the next two\nchapters, especially to the view of the Lamb in the midst of the throne. A\npreparation is thus made for the sudden transition from the introduction\nand epistles to the chief visions of the book, after the closing words of\nthis epistle have been written. \u201cHe that hath an ear, let him hear what\nthe Spirit saith to the churches,\u201d is a final voice of admonition and\nwarning to the church in Laodicea, to each of the seven churches in Asia,\nand then through them to the whole church throughout the world in all\ntime, exhorting them to hear and obey the message given in each and all of\nthe seven epistles.\n\n\n\n\nII THE MAIN APOCALYPSE, Ch. 4:1\u201022:5\n\n\nThe Revelation Proper, which occupies the chief portion of the book, is a\nsymbolic view of the great spiritual conflict of the ages, reviewing the\nwhole course and outcome of the far\u2010reaching struggle between the church\nand the world, with the multiple and diverse forces that are engaged in\nit, and setting forth the absolute decisiveness of the final issue. It\nconsists of a series of seven visions which undertake to solve the\napparent anomalies of God\u2019s present rule among men by affording recurrent\nglimpses of the working out of a great, comprehensive, underlying plan,\u2014a\nprovidential and moral order in the world that is divine and sovereign,\ninterpenetrated with a concurrent redemptive purpose that is gracious and\nelective,\u2014which leads on through progressive stages of trial and warfare,\nof threatening and judgment, to the complete and final overthrow and\npunishment of all the wicked and to the full and glorious vindication and\ntriumph of all the holy. The seven visions, when carefully examined, will\nbe seen to be progressive in their revelation; for while they do not\nfollow any line of temporal succession, they yet show a progress of\nthought and movement throughout. Beginning with the vision of God on the\nthrone, a vision of sovereignty, they advance in manifest order through\nthe vision of the seven seals, a vision of trial, and the vision of the\nseven trumpets, a vision of threatening, to the vision of conflict, a\nvision of warfare, which is central to all and furnishes a key to the\ngeneral interpretation of the book. Then by a scale of descending climax\nthey pass on to the vision of the seven vials, a vision of judgment,\nfollowed by the vision of victory, a vision of vindication, and this again\nby the vision of the New Jerusalem, a vision of triumph, which reveals the\nfinal goal of Christian hope in the immediate presence of God.(365) The\npurpose of the Apocalypse is thus disclosed to be interpretative of God\u2019s\nplan of the ages, an unfolding of the drama of destiny, in which,\nnotwithstanding all apparent contradictions and present reverses, he is\nyet ever leading on to full and final victory in the end\u2014through all the\nconflict he is winning, even against appearances, and will triumph at\nlast,\u2014a view full of encouragement for tried and disheartened Christians\nof the first and each succeeding century. Why God permitted this struggle\nto be begun and then let it continue throughout the centuries, why he ever\nallowed sin to find a place among his moral creatures, is a topic nowhere\nentered upon or discussed throughout the book. It is evidently recognized\nas belonging to the unrevealed mysteries of God which lie outside the\nsphere of the present Revelation. But that he overrules all the apparently\ninapt and sinful conditions of this world for the ultimate good of his\nkingdom, and that he will victoriously triumph at last, is the assuring\nwitness of the whole series of visions. The Apocalyptic form, we find,\nbecomes more marked and definite in this main portion of the book, and the\ndifficulties of interpretation are correspondingly increased; for they are\nno longer chiefly those of grammatical exegesis and historical allusion,\nbut rather the elucidation of a body of mysterious symbols. The purpose\nand limits of the present volume forbid the discussion of many of the\nexegetical difficulties, and serve to confine attention mainly to the\nmeaning of the symbolism as the chief subject concerning which there is\nwide difference of opinion. Questions of grammatical, or grammatico\u2010\nhistorical, exegesis will be found more fully considered in the various\ncommentaries to which the reader is referred in the footnotes. The visions\nand episodes into which the main part of the book is properly divisible,\nare given separately in the following analysis, i. e. the seven seals,\ntrumpets, and vials are each considered in order consecutively, and the\nepisodes which intervene are taken up after each sevenfold vision is\ncomplete, in order that they may be better understood. This preserves the\nconnection of the seven in the series, and emphasizes by itself the lesson\nof the episodes which are interjected into the natural order.\n\n\n\nI The Vision of God on the Throne (A Vision of Sovereignty). Ch. 4:1\u20105:14\n\n\nThe opening vision of the seven chief visions in the Revelation is a\nTheophany, revealing the majesty of the divine glory and the might of the\nsovereign rule of God as the abiding source of the church\u2019s confidence in\nthe midst of trial and distress, and as the unfailing ground of faith in\nthe fulfilment of the revelation that follows. This vision of the fifth\nand sixth chapters is preparatory to those that deal with the present and\nfuture prospects of the church upon earth, and with this in view it sets\nforth the causal and higher relations upon which the history of the church\ndepends, viz. God\u2019s sovereignty in creation and in redemption; for it is\nonly in relation to these two great abiding facts of the divine activity\nthat the passing events of time have their true meaning. We look first\nupon the stability of the eternal throne, and upon the person of the\ndivine atoning Lamb, and then we are better prepared to understand the\ndrama of history, and to view with equanimity the dread scenes of crisis\nand conflict which belong to the lot of the church upon earth. The scene\ndescribed in the fourth and fifth chapters, of the eternal throne with\nthose who are attendant upon it, and of the Lamb in the midst of it,\nconstitutes a proem to the succeeding visions, and may be thought of as\ncontinuing throughout and forming the background for all that follows, in\nthe light of which it must be viewed and its meaning interpreted. In the\nfifth chapter the action proper to the Revelation begins with the taking\nof the sealed book, though some regard the action as beginning with the\nsixth chapter in the opening of the seals. The present vision is\nintroduced with the phrase \u201cafter these things\u201d (v. 1), which does not\nindicate an interval of time but rather a succession of events, and always\nmarks a break in the connection and a new phase of the revelation.\n\n\n1 The Throne and the King, Ch. 4:1\u20103, 5a, and 6a\n\n\nA door is opened in heaven that the seer may look in, and the trumpet\nvoice of ch. 1:10 is heard again, saying, \u201cCome up hither, and I will show\nthee the things which must come to pass hereafter\u201d, the further\nannouncement of a prophetic vision, the sign not only that eternal\nverities are to be revealed, but that earthly things are to be seen from\nthe heavenly point of view. And we are told that straightway John \u201cwas in\nthe Spirit\u201d, i. e. he became conscious of an additional impulse of divine\nrapture, for he was already in the Spirit (ch. 1:10); and then the throne\nof God, the seat of the divine government, is seen in the eternal splendor\nof repose, the reflection of the divine sovereignty, surrounded by a\nrainbow of emerald green arching above it, the emblem of God\u2019s covenant\nmercy (Gen. 9:13), and sending forth lightnings, thunders, and voices, the\ntokens of divine power, majesty, and judgment. The divine Person is\npresented as enthroned, but is not named, and is described only by\ncomparison, a touch of reverent reserve as consonant with religion as it\nis true to art. His appearance is glorious like jasper and sardius, the\nlast and first of the precious stones on the breastplate of the\nhighpriest, and part of the foundation stones of the heavenly city.(366)\nThe pure jasper and the red sardius are the apparent symbols of purity and\njustice (cf. Ezek. 1:26, and 10:1; Dan. 7:9; _Bk of Enoch_ 14:18f.).\nBefore the throne, we are told, there is \u201cas it were, a sea of glass(367)\nlike unto crystal\u201d, the symbol of the calm and fulness of life in God\u2019s\ncompleted kingdom in contrast with the stormy sea of earthly nations, the\ncalm of the heavenly life in antithesis with the turmoil of the earthly.\nThis seems to be the more natural interpretation of the passage, yet the\nsymbolism of the sea in the Revelation has been interpreted with a good\ndeal of freedom, and there is wide difference of opinion concerning its\nmeaning. It is regarded by many as the symbol of purification the antitype\nof the laver before the tabernacle, while others find in it a type of the\neternal fulness of joy in the presence of God. Some think the sea is\nplaced before the throne as a symbol of the former trial and conflict of\nthe earthly life through which the saints have passed to reach the\npresence of God, and that it has now become a perpetual memorial of\nvictory, for the sea is glassy and quiet as the sign that the conflict is\nover.(368) Other late writers connect the sea with early Hebrew ideas of\nthe waters before the firmament (Gen. 1:7), traces of which continue to\nappear in Apocalyptic literature, and hold that this conception underlies\nthe symbolism of the molten sea in Solomon\u2019s temple and forms the basis of\nthe present description.(369) With figures so flexible as these it is\nquite possible that different thoughts have been included, for the sea was\nclosely interwoven with the early stage of Israel\u2019s history, and may have\nbecome a symbol covering a wide range of correlative ideas. But however we\nmay interpret the meaning of the symbolism, the presence of the sea in the\nvision undoubtedly serves to enhance the majesty and splendor of the\nscene, and may have been introduced partly for that purpose, though the\nsea undoubtedly had a permanent place in Hebrew thought.\n\n\n2 The Four and Twenty Elders, Ch. 4:4, 10 and 11\n\n\nThe vision presents the worship of heaven in the forms of earth for our\napprehension. The elders (Gr. \u201cpresbyters\u201d) are the ideal representatives\nof the redeemed church,(370) who are clothed in white raiment and placed\nround about the throne wearing golden crowns and sitting on lesser thrones\nreigning with Christ, the fitting tokens of royal dignity and authority,\nand of their triumphant victory through him who is their Saviour. They are\never active in service, casting their crowns before the throne and him\nthat sitteth thereon as they worship, and joining in every chorus of\nadoration.(371) Their number is that of the twelve patriarchs and apostles\ncombined, indicating that they represent the church of both dispensations,\nthe saints of the Old and New Testaments. They are not, however, the\ntwelve patriarchs and apostles themselves enthroned, as suggested by some,\nbut ideal beings who have a representative character. Their number, twice\ntwelve, i. e. twice the national number of Israel, aptly symbolizes the\nglorified church of all the ages.(372) Some find in these elders a group\nof angelic beings who are attendants of the divine glory and whose\npresence in the heavenly temple was a part of ancient Jewish tradition, as\nin the _Judgment of Peter_, where it is said, \u201cFor there are four and\ntwenty elders, twelve upon the right hand and twelve upon the left.\u201d(373)\nThere is no reason to infer, however, that the Greek term \u201cpresbyters\u201d, or\n\u201celders\u201d, with its definite meaning in the New Testament church, is\notherwise used in the Apocalypse, even though the elders are here the\nrepresentatives of a class. It is quite possible that the earlier use of\nthe four and twenty elders in Apocalyptic literature may have been the\noccasion of their introduction here, but there was nothing in the usage of\nthe past to prevent its modified application in a Christian sense so\nnatural as this in the first century; on the contrary it is quite in\naccord with the gradually progressive method of Apocalyptic thought that\nthey should be introduced here to represent the church enlarged by New\nTestament accessions. It is certainly quite beside the mark to affirm that\nthis idea of the church as a combination of the Old and New Testament\nsaints is \u201cmedieval\u201d;(374) when it is found so clearly in the Epistles of\nPaul.\n\n\n3 The Seven Lamps of Fire (or Torches), Ch. 4:5b\n\n\nThese lamps are seen burning before the throne which they serve to\nillumine, recalling the seven\u2010branched candlestick in the tabernacle, and\nthey are seven in number, doubtless, to indicate their fulness or\ncompleteness. We are told that the lamps \u201care [i. e. are the symbol of]\nthe seven Spirits of God\u201d; they are, therefore, evidently designed to\nrepresent the Holy Spirit throughout the Revelation, the seven Spirits\nthat are before the throne (ch. 1:4) and that serve to denote the fulness\nof the Spirit\u2019s operation, his manifold energy in contradistinction to the\nunity of his person. The fitness of fire, or a flaming torch, to symbolize\nthe illuminative influence of the Spirit is quite evident, throwing light\nupon the throne and revealing God to men, but the use of seven torches,\nlike that of seven Spirits, is peculiar to the Revelation, and is\nintroduced, one is constrained to think, for a special purpose. That the\nHoly Spirit is indicated by this symbol throughout is shown by the context\n(cf. chs. 1:4 and 3:1), but it is evidently used here to set forth the\nSpirit from a particular point of view, i. e. to represent in a concrete\nform the divine perfection of the Spirit as displayed in his multiple\nactivities. It seems to be an echo from the vision of Zechariah (ch. 3:9,\nand 4:10) where the divine pervasive insight is represented by the \u201cseven\neyes of the Lord\u201d, (cf. also Rev. 5:6, \u201cthe seven eyes of the Lamb\u201d).\n\n\n4 The Four Living Creatures, Ch. 4. 6b\u20109\n\n\nThe four living creatures (cf. Ezek. 1:5f.),\u2014which are not to be thought\nof as \u201cbeasts\u201d even in a good sense, as in the Authorized Version, but\nrather as in the Greek, \u201cthe living ones\u201d, which gives a better idea,\u2014are\nseen \u201cin the midst of the throne and round about the throne\u201d, evidently\nindicating their function in the heavenly court, to wait upon the divine\nPerson, though their exact arrangement in the vision is not so clear.(375)\nThese are composite creature\u2010forms that are manifestly to be identified\nwith the cherubim of the Old Testament. Each creature consists of four\nrepresentative forms of animal life combined in one, viz. that of the\nlion, the ox, the eagle, and man, together producing a strange, anomalous\nfigure which is generally thought to personify wild animals, domestic\nanimals, birds, and man, as possessing a common physical life, or created\nlife in its entirety represented by its higher and more notable forms. In\nthe Revelation each has a different face, according to the animal form\nwhich is made prominent, and not four faces as in Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:5\u201014),\nthe individual life being thereby made more manifest. These living ones\nare ideal symbols of the physical creation, especially of all created\nlife, and represent in the vision the entire earthly creation as sharing\nin the benefits of redemption,(376) manifesting the divine glory, and\nwaiting upon God. They are used in the Old Testament as impressive symbols\nof the divine presence, and Jehovah is known as \u201che that dwelleth between\nthe cherubim\u201d, (Am. R. V. \u201csitteth above\u201d\u2014marg. \u201cis enthroned\u201d, i. e. upon\nthe cherubim),(377) a reflection of the thought embodied in the\narrangement of the ark of the covenant, where the mercy seat with the\nshekinah flame was placed between the cherubim. In John\u2019s vision the\nliving creatures are seen in closest proximity to the throne, and they\nlead the heavenly choir in an unceasing song of praise (the Creation\nChorus, v. 8\u201011), the closing verse of the song indicating their function\nin the heavenly court to glorify God, as also the part they subsequently\nhave in the song of the redeemed (the Redemption Chorus, ch. 5:13)\nreflects the nature of their worship. They are full of eyes, the sign of\ntheir all\u2010seeing watchfulness; they have three pairs of wings, the symbol\nof their spiritual ministry, for three is the sign of the spiritual as the\nwings are of activity; and they are four in number while each is fourfold\nto indicate their relation to the organic world, for four is always the\nearth number. Also, they rest not day and night, showing the\ncharacteristic of life in its fullest energy and ceaseless activity,\nsaying \u201cHoly, holy, holy,\u201d i. e. \u201choly\u201d thrice repeated,\u2014three a symbol of\nthe divine,\u2014corresponding to the Trisagion of Isaiah\u2019s prophecy (ch. 6:3),\ndeclaring the holiness of God, the All\u2010Ruler, as especially revealed in\ncreation, all created beings ministering to the manifestation of the\ndivine glory. The identity of the living creatures with the cherubim of\nthe Old Testament is generally recognized, but the origin of the idea of\nthe cherubim in connection with the worship of Jehovah is as obscure as\nthe actual form is indefinite, though probably derived from a primitive\nstage of religious thought among the Semitic people, and early\nincorporated as a symbol in the religion of Israel. Apparently the form\nand conception varied somewhat through time, as will be seen by comparing\nEzekiel\u2019s description with that which is given here, though the general\nidea remained the same. Some think the cherubim to have been originally\nthe storm\u2010clouds personified, regarded as supporting the divine throne and\nsurrounding the divine Person, while the seraphim represented the\nlightning\u2010flash revealing God to men. Others regard them as unidentified\nnature\u2010forces idealized in forms of life, and traditionally associated\nwith the throne of God. But whatever their origin, their meaning in\nScripture is plain, viz. the physical creation waiting upon God.(378)\n\n\n5 The Sealed Book (or Scroll), Ch. 5:1\u20105\n\n\nA new phase of the vision now begins with chapter five, indicated by the\nwords \u201cAnd I saw\u201d, setting forth the glory and honor of the exalted\nRedeemer, and indicating the divine purpose through him to throw light\nupon the plan of God for the ages. A sealed book or scroll, the sign that\nits contents are hidden, and written within and without, i. e. upon both\nsides, or within and also on the back,\u2014filled to its very margins like the\nroll in Ezekiel (ch. 2:9\u201010),\u2014indicating the exceeding fulness of its\ncontents and the completeness of the divine plan, is seen lying \u201cin [or\nupon] the right hand of him that sat on the throne\u201d. This book, which at\nfirst no one can be found to open, apparently contains God\u2019s multitudinous\nand unrevealed purposes concerning the future course of the church in the\nworld,\u2014as is afterward more fully indicated by the nature of the things\nportrayed when the seals are broken,\u2014for it evidently pertains to the\nmysteries of the kingdom of God on earth, part of which are about to be\ndisclosed to John.(379) The book is closed by seven seals, a perfect\nnumber, the symbol implying that it is perfectly sealed or fully\nclosed,(380) a roll apparently sealed in sections, perhaps with the end of\nthe parchment fastened down by the seals to its staff so that it cannot be\nopened except by one having authority to break the seals.(381) The book\nitself, it should be noted, is never read at any period of the vision,\nshowing that what it contains is not fully disclosed, but as the seals are\nbroken the general nature of the contents of each section is symbolically\nportrayed in the form set forth in the succeeding vision of the seals.\n\n\n6 The Lamb, Ch. 5:6\u20108a\n\n\nAt this point in the vision the divine Redeemer, Jesus Christ, appears in\norder to open the seals, portrayed as the Lamb of God, the recognized\natoner for sin, a symbol of striking power to every one familiar with the\nOld Testament system of sacrifices. The importance of opening the seals\nhad been already indicated in the vision (ch. 5:2f.) by the appearance of\na strong or mighty angel, the sign of high rank and great power,\nproclaiming with a great voice, \u201cWho is worthy to open the book and to\nloose the seals thereof?\u201d And when no one was found \u201cin the heaven, or on\nthe earth, or under the earth\u201d, i. e. in the place of the spirits of the\ndead\u2014a phrase equivalent to saying that no one could be found in all the\nuniverse\u2014the prophet wept much, showing his deep interest and bitter\ndisappointment when his expectation seemed about to fail. But one of the\nelders, a representative of the redeemed church, points out to John him\nwho is able to open the book because he \u201chath overcome\u201d, indicating the\nglorified Redeemer as the source of help.(382) He is described by the\nelder as \u201cthe Lion that is of the tribe of Judah\u201d (Gen. 49:9), and \u201cthe\nRoot of David\u201d (Isa. 11:1), indicating his kingly(383) and prophetic\nrelations to Israel; but when he appears to John\u2019s wondering view it is in\nsacrificial form as the Lamb of God,(384) the sign of his priestly\nrelation to his people, bearing marks as though he had been slain, but now\nstanding in living power in the midst of the throne, the center of all\nattention and the glorified object of all worship, alike the agent of\nredemption and the consummation of sacrifice. The words \u201cin the midst of\nthe throne\u201d may mean in the center of the throne and encircled by it, or\nbetween the throne and those surrounding it. Some regard the throne as a\nsemi\u2010circle in the open side of which the Lamb stands, and within which\nare placed two of the living creatures, with the other two at the back,\nwhile the elders surround the throne, and the many angels form the outer\ncircle,(385) a view that is helpful to those who wish detail in such\nmatters, for the chief thought in the symbolism is sufficiently plain. It\nmay also be worth while to note how clearly this symbolism implies that\nthe redeemed church, represented by the elders, stands nearer to the\nthrone of God than even the angels.(386) The seven horns of the Lamb\nsymbolize the fulness of his power, for the horn is the Hebrew emblem of\npower as seven is of fulness or completeness of quality; and his seven\neyes represent the perfection of his vision and knowledge, seeing with the\nomniscient eyes of the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:10) who proceedeth alike from\nthe Father and the Son.(387) He takes the book out of the right hand of\nGod as a token of his rightful authority, an act full of meaning, for he\nalone has prevailed and has power to open the book and to reveal God\u2019s\npurposes because he has redeemed the church and himself directs the path\nof her history. In this sublime vision of the Lamb in the midst of the\nthrone we may be truly said to have reached \u201cthe point of highest dramatic\ninterest in the whole book\u201d.\n\n\n7 The Heavenly Worship, Ch. 5:8b\u201014\n\n\nThe taking of the book is followed by an act of profound worship; the four\nliving creatures and the four and twenty elders fall down before the Lamb,\nhaving each one a harp, the instrument of praise, and a golden bowl full\nof incense, representing the prayers of the saints, which they offer\nbefore God. Then they voice their thought in a new song, the song of the\nredeemed (the Redemption Chorus), which is rendered unto him that sitteth\nupon the throne, and unto the Lamb, declaring him worthy that hath been\nslain to take the book and to open the seals, and \u201cto receive the power,\nand riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing\u201d,\u2014a\nsevenfold or complete ascription of praise\u2014who hath redeemed his people\nwith his blood out \u201cof every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation\u201d,\u2014a\nfourfold or world\u2010wide redemption for all peoples(388)\u2014\u201cand madest them\n_to be_ unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the\nearth\u201d, even now in the midst of trials, in a spiritual sense which though\nimperfect foreshadows and assures their complete spiritual reign in the\nnew world wherein dwelleth righteousness. This song is sung by the four\nliving creatures as the representatives of the whole creation who unitedly\nrejoice in the work of redemption together with man, and by the four and\ntwenty elders who represent the church of all time, the personal subjects\nof redemption; and it is chorused by an innumerable company of angels,\nGod\u2019s sinless creation, who are described as consisting of \u201cten thousand\ntimes ten thousand\u201d, i. e. the square of a myriad, a hundred millions in\nnumber (or, as the words may mean, \u201cmyriads of myriads\u201d i. e. hundreds of\nmillions), and in addition \u201cthousand of thousands\u201d, i. e. millions more,\u2014a\nsymbolical expression for a numberless host; and it is echoed by \u201cevery\ncreated thing which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth\nand on the sea\u201d, i. e. it is re\u2010echoed from every created being throughout\nthe universe. Thus the Chorus of Creation, wonderful as it was, is\nsurpassed by the Chorus of Redemption: and the four living creatures who\nrepresent creation said in full accord, \u201cAmen\u201d, while the four and twenty\nelders \u201cfell down and worshipped\u201d him that liveth forever and ever. The\nopening of the seals then follows, and because of its widely different\nbearing from that which precedes, is usually considered as forming a\nseparate vision, though the transition is not otherwise marked than by a\nchange of action and progress of thought.\n\n\n\nII The Vision of the Seven Seals (A Vision of Trial). Ch. 6:1\u201017, and 8:1\n\n\nThe vision of the seven seals is a prophetic delineation of the trials and\ntriumphs of the church of Christ throughout all her history, especially\nfrom the days of John to the end of the world, depicted in the symbols of\nApocalyptic. These trials fall upon all men in common, and from another\npoint of view are also judgments upon the sinful world, but they are\nregarded here chiefly as involving the church in suffering, and as\npreparing the way for the triumph of the kingdom of God, the coming of our\nLord, and the final consummation of all things. The opening of the seals\nby Christ indicates his purpose of revealing the hidden contents of the\nbook which he had taken from the right hand of God (ch. 5:7), and the\nnumber of the seals (seven) shows the completeness of the series. The\norder of the seals is progressive, but they have no definite or\ncategorical time\u2010relation; they regard only the ceaseless swing of the\nages ever sweeping on toward the final consummation. The underlying divine\npurpose of testing men by moral struggle is apparent throughout; the\ntrials set forth are disciplinary to those who believe, but punitive to\nthose who resist. The form of trials in the vision is that of an\nillustrative symbolism which should not be limited in interpretation to\nthe few particular kinds of trouble that are described, but should be\ntaken as representative of the whole round of sorrows endured by God\u2019s\npeople throughout all time, a prophetic forecast which, though receiving\nan immediate fulfilment in the experience of the early church, has yet had\nand will have a further and wider fulfilment throughout the course of the\nages. The subordinate element of judgment upon the wicked in the vision is\nimplied rather than stated, except under the sixth seal; nevertheless upon\nfurther reflection it may be clearly seen, for the advancing conquest of\nChrist includes the overthrow of the wicked, while the sorrows of war,\nfamine, and death fall upon them without any consolation like the\nrecompense of the righteous, the avenging of the martyrs is foretold as\neventually to be visited upon them, and amidst the terrors of the final\njudgment they find no availing refuge, but cry to the mountains and to the\nrocks to fall upon them to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on\nthe throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. This bearing of the trials of\nthe seals, revealing judgment upon the world, should not be overlooked in\nour interpretation, though we should not lay special stress upon it, for\nit is not the foremost thought in mind.\n\nIn entering upon the more obscure portions of the book it may be well to\nremind the reader that the interpretation will be much simplified, and\nmany of the difficulties will disappear, if we regard all the mysterious\naction in these visions as in the broadest sense symbolical, and not\nrequiring detailed application. And although an effort may well be made to\nrecover what has been called the \u201cground\u2010view\u201d of the Apostle, i. e. the\nnatural application of the prophecy that lay in the immediate horizon of\nhistory and belonged to the conditions of his time, yet this cannot be\nregarded as absolutely essential to the correct interpretation for us and\nfor all ages. We should not forget that we are dealing with what is really\na great creative poem in prose, containing idealized conceptions of widely\npervasive principles, and therefore its true interpretation lies in facts\nof universal experience rather than in the special circumstances which\nhelped to give it form in the mind of the writer, but beyond which he\npassed with poetic freedom to grasp the larger ideal\u2014for to deny that John\nhad any such ideal in mind is to do injustice both to his prophetic and\npoetic insight. And if in our anxiety to reproduce the author\u2019s native\nhorizon, we allow the basis of historical fact to become the chief matter\nof concern, we are sure to lose in literary insight in the interpretation\nof the book far more than we gain through clearness of local perspective.\nFor it is always to be reckoned \u201camongst the impediments to the study of\nliterature ... that the personality of the author, and the circumstances\nof actual life, are forever being allowed to interpose between a creative\npoem and the mind of the reader\u201d,(389) to the constant hindrance of any\nfree following of the author\u2019s constructive idealization. And it is only\nby avoiding this narrowing influence of realism that we are at all likely\nto reach the heart of the Apocalypse.\n\n\n1 The Opening of the First Seal, Ch. 6:1, 2\n\n\nThe Lamb as the ruler and revealer of destiny opens the seals. At the call\nof one of the four living creatures, \u201ccome\u201d,(390) a white horse and his\nrider, who bears a bow, the sign of warfare, and receives a crown, the\ntoken of victory, appear in view, representing Christ going forth\nconquering and to conquer,(391) a vision depicting the beginning and trend\nof the gospel age: the symbol of the victory of Christ\u2019s cause attained\nthrough conflict, Christianity triumphing in the earth,\u2014for the progress\nof the life of the church is viewed like that of the national life of\nIsrael as marked by constant conflict. The assurance of victory is made to\nprecede the revelation of trial as a ground of comfort and confidence\nthroughout the succeeding seals. We may properly regard the contents of\nthis seal as a present view of the onward course of the church, the\ndetails of which are to be imagined rather than described, a suggestive\npicture which stamps itself upon the mind, for the figure of the crowned\nand conquering Christ once distinctly seen can never be effaced but marks\nall our after\u2010thought of him. This vision was realized in some measure in\nthe splendid growth of the church in the first and following centuries,\nbut the full realization of its promise lies in the fulness of the ages\n(ch. 19:11\u201021)\u2014Christ is ever moving on through the years to final\nvictory.\n\nMany historical interpreters find in this rider the symbol of conquest,\nespecially of judgment on the Roman Empire by the Parthians, indicated by\nthe bow, their usual weapon, and premonitory of the end.(392) In that case\nthe first seal, like the succeeding ones, would indicate a form of trial\nto the church. Others see in the rider the sign of Roman conquest, and in\nthe subsequent seals precursors of the destruction of Jerusalem, assuming\nthe earlier date of the book. These views, however, fail to recognize the\nclose similarity and apparent identity of the rider in this vision with\nthe one on the white horse in chapter nineteen (v. 11) who is evidently\ndivine;(393) nor do they agree with the above view as to the scope of the\nseals, but limit them to the first century, while in the interpretation\ngiven in this work they reach forward throughout the history of the church\nto the end of time. We must be duly careful, according to the symbolic\nview, not to limit the prophecy to too narrow a scope in its complete\nfulfilment, and especially not to exclude the world\u2010wide and universal\nreference, even though it be regarded as the secondary meaning, since to\nmany minds this is the essential and larger thought in the vision. For we\nshould not forget that while the visions of the Apocalypse, like the\nvoices of prophecy and the parables and teachings of our Lord, had their\nimmediate occasion and purpose, yet this becomes in turn the ground and\ninstrument of a wider and permanent divine message to all mankind, and\nthat this is the message which is our chief concern.\n\n\n2 The Opening of the Second Seal, Ch. 6:3, 4\n\n\nAt the call of the second living creature, \u201cCome\u201d, a red horse and his\nrider appear, to whom is given a great sword, and power to take peace from\nthe earth: the symbol of war, and of consequent trial to the church. The\nblood\u2010red horse with his armed rider betokens the carnage of battle, and\nsuggests all the horrors of bloodshed with its accompanying train of\nsuffering. It is a prediction not of any particular war or wars, but of\nwar in general, as the \u201cwars and rumors of wars\u201d in our Saviour\u2019s\ndiscourse (Mt. 24:6). And it was only as it was \u201cgiven unto him\u201d (v. 4),\nwe are told, that the rider could accomplish his mission, thereby\nindicating the divine authority, limitation, and restraint. The sword is\nthe same as the sacrificial knife, and the term used for slaying in the\npassage is the Greek term for killing the sacrificial victim, which may be\nintended to imply that the slaughter of the saints is to be included with\nothers.(394) The contents of this seal were realized to some extent in the\nJewish war connected with the fall of Jerusalem, and in the subsequent\nwars of the Roman Empire which entailed great suffering upon the church as\nwell as upon the world. The form of the prophecy, however, does not\npreclude reference to the then past as well as to present and to future\nevents; it points to the experience of God\u2019s children in every age, to the\nJewish as well as the Christian church, though doubtless with the future\nspecially in view. These sorrows have been repeated again and again in the\nnumberless wars of history, and may be repeated afresh in the future, for\nwar is a constant trial of the church throughout the centuries. The symbol\nof the armed rider on the blood\u2010red horse presents a vivid picture of the\nhorrors of war. It was a figure which spoke to the imaginative Eastern\nmind with a power superior to words, especially to those who had known in\ntheir own experience the destructive ravages of war; but the details were\nleft to be supplied by individual thought.\n\n\n3 The Opening of the Third Seal, Ch. 6:5, 6\n\n\nAt the call of the third living creature, \u201cCome\u201d, a black horse and his\nrider appear, weighing out grain with a balance: the symbol of famine,\nwant, and consequent suffering by the church. This expressive figure of\nthe black horse and his rider with a balance foretold in a form that\nsurpassed the power of language to describe, the prevailing gloom and\ndistress of famine. Grain is sold by weight instead of measure, thereby\nindicating its scarcity (Ezek. 4:16), and the price is from eight to\ntwelve times its usual cost, the food of a working man requiring his\nentire wages, and leaving those dependent on him without support.(395) The\nfamine indicated is not, however, any special season of want, but\nrecurrent famine as a condition of trial, and is limited in its extent, as\nindicated by preserving the oil and the wine which may be regarded as\ntypical articles of food, or the best of the things of common life(396)\u2014a\nfamine affecting the poor rather than the rich, the multitude rather than\nthe few. The contents of this seal were realized in prevailing famines\nsuch as that under Claudius, that at the siege of Jerusalem, and many\nother seasons of want which have occurred at different times throughout\nthe ages, but especially in the ancient world and in the Far East. The\nemaciation and terror produced by hunger and want was a form of suffering\ntoo well known among the inhabitants of those lands to need any further\nemphasis\u2014it spoke a language of its own to all those who had felt its\npower.\n\n\n4 The Opening of the Fourth Seal, Ch. 6:7, 8\n\n\nAt the call of the fourth living creature, \u201cCome\u201d, a pale, ashen colored,\nor green horse, and his rider Death appear, with Hades following after, i.\ne. the world of departed spirits accompanying death as his after\u2010part to\nswallow up his victims, both personified, and with power given them to\nkill with the sword and with famine and with death in all its forms: the\nsymbol of mortality in the church, destroying the forces of the kingdom.\nThe pale green or livid horse, the color of a corpse, reflects the\nghastliness of a dead body bordering on dissolution, and points to the\nruin wrought by death. Death is here considered as in itself a trial, and\nsome of the more terrible and widespread agencies by which it is brought\nabout are mentioned in order to make its ravages more impressive. Among\nother forms death by sword and famine are included, evils already\nintroduced under the two former seals as the occasion of suffering, but\nhere regarded as leading to death and constituting a separate trial. The\ntrial of this seal is also limited, and affects only one fourth of men, i.\ne. a fractional part, not an actual fourth, the fourth being perhaps\nsuggested by the four horsemen. The contents of this seal were realized in\nthe fearful mortality of Roman times by means of the fourfold scourge of\nsword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, the crown of all sorrows to\nthe Jewish mind; but they have also been realized in a similar way, though\ndifferent form, through the many dread visitations of death in later days.\n\nIt will be noticed that almost every part of the symbolism in these\nvisions has a meaning of its own. The horse in motion seems to indicate\nthe swift progress and triumphal march through the earth of the things\nrepresented in the first four seals, viz. of Christianity the conquering\nreligion, and also of war, famine, and death, the widespread terrors which\nare impersonated by the riders as treading the path of the centuries. The\ncolor of the different horses, too, is not without significance; white is\nthe sign of victory (white horses were not uncommonly ridden by Roman\nconquerors)(397) and it is also the symbol of purity, while red is the\nsymbol of bloodshed, black of want, and pale or ashen green of death, each\nof the latter betokening something of the nature of the scourge which they\nbring to men. The whole content of the seals presents a bare outline of\nvarious forms of suffering, and is intended to typify a multitude of\nsorrows that are unnamed. It should be noted, too, that at the close of\nthe fourth seal a division of the seals is apparent into two groups with\nfour and three in each. The first four relate to the sphere of the natural\nworld, as the number four indicates, and the fact also that they are\nushered in by the four living creatures who represent creation. These\nseals are chiefly designed to show that during the period in which Christ\nis carrying forward his conquest unto victory, both trial and suffering in\nthis world form part of the divine purpose of discipline for his people\nwhich cannot be escaped from but should be endured with patience and hope.\nThe last three seals relate to the things of the spiritual life, of which\nthree is the symbol, and point forward to the future and great reward in\nthe world to come which is about to be realized by those who are faithful.\nThe same division into four and three, pertaining to the natural and the\nspiritual, though with a distinctive application, is found in the visions\nof the trumpets and vials (see App\u2019x. D).\n\n\n5 The Opening of the Fifth Seal, Ch. 6:9\u201011\n\n\nAt the opening of the fifth seal a vision of the souls of the martyrs\nappears, viz. of those \u201cthat had been slain for the word of God, and for\nthe testimony which they held\u201d (cf. ch. 19:10), who are now seen\nunderneath the altar (i. e. the equivalent of the great brazen altar of\nsacrifice in the Jewish service, at the foot of which the blood of the\nsacrificial victims was poured) as the sign of their having sacrificed\ntheir lives for the truth. The altar is in the heavenly temple, which to\nthe Jewish mind was the archetype of the earthly, where they are found\ncrying to God as their master(398) to judge and avenge them, i. e. calling\nfor vindication, not for vengeance in the earthly sense; and they receive\neach a white robe, the recognized symbol of purity and victory, and are\nbidden to rest until the roll of martyrs is complete:(399) the symbol of\nmartyrdom so often experienced by the church throughout the ages. These\nsaints of God have not been delivered from death, but they have been\ndelivered through death. The limit of this trial is the \u201clittle time\u201d of\nthe church\u2019s further conflict, a period looked upon as relatively short in\nthe whole course of the centuries, though not in itself necessarily short\nor definitely limited, for the \u201clittle time\u201d is practically the whole\nperiod of this and the preceding seals. The contents of this seal were\npartly realized in the ten persecutions of the early church, especially\nthose under Nero, and under Domitian, belonging to the period of the\nApocalypse; but they have also been realized in every subsequent\npersecution that has followed the planting of the gospel in heathen lands.\nThe martyrs belong to all ages and all nations, and include every man who\nhas given his life as a testimony for the truth; and this seal looks along\nthe whole line and comprehends every martyr of every age.\n\n\n6 The Opening of the Sixth Seal, Ch. 6:12\u201017\n\n\nAt the opening of the sixth seal a vision of an earthquake appears, in\nwhich the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, the whole moon as blood,\nand the stars of heaven fell, while even the heaven itself was removed as\na scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved\nout of their places, for we are told that the day, the great day, of\ndivine wrath is come: the symbol of judgment and retribution, especially\nof the last judgment, and of the destruction of the world. The terrors of\nthe judgment thus described are sevenfold, affecting the earth, the sun,\nthe moon, the stars, the heavens, the mountains, and the islands; and\nseven classes of men are mentioned, who call to the rocks and the\nmountains to fall upon them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb,\nviz. the kings of the earth, the princes, the chief captains, the rich,\nthe strong, and every bondman, and every freeman,\u2014additional signs of\nuniversality and completeness. The contents of this seal have been\nrealized in one way in the crises of history and the fall of empires,\nwhich we may regard as described here after the analogy of Jewish\nApocalyptic, under the form of a great catastrophe of nature bringing to\nan end the existing order of things\u2014the fortunes of the people of God,\nthough not their fate, being conceived of as inseparably interwoven with\nthe world of nature; but this is only a temporary and passing fulfilment\nwhich foreshadows and points to the final day of wrath (called in Greek\n(v. 17), \u201cthe day, the great [day] of their wrath\u201d, i. e. of the wrath of\nGod and of the Lamb), or the day of the Lord,(400) and the end of the\nworld. The End is a constant element in all Apocalyptic writings, as it is\nthe recurrent point of interest with John in the Apocalypse; and it was\nundoubtedly due to the influence of Jewish Apocalyptic conceptions that an\nexpectation commonly prevailed in the primitive church that the End was\nclose at hand, and that it would come not through development but through\ncrises of judgment.(401) The important part which the End has in the\nApocalypse may be regarded as owing in some degree to the place it must\nnecessarily occupy in any exhaustive scheme of the course of the world;\nbut it is perhaps more largely due to the peculiar view\u2010point of\nApocalyptic, which exalted the End out of proportion to the present in\norder to impress more deeply its lessons.(402)\n\nAll the visions of the six seals had a particular application and an\nundoubted though partial fulfilment in the first age in which they were\ngiven; but they have a wider and more perfect fulfilment in all subsequent\ntime, and perhaps will have an especially complete fulfilment in the last\ntime, such as we know that the sixth seal will surely have. To seek\nconstantly, however, for a merely literal fulfilment is surely to\nemphasize the least important part of their meaning, and to limit them\nnarrowly to a definite historical event is to rob them of their larger\npurpose, for they are wide\u2010flung types that speak as with a thousand\ntongues to the open ear and ready mind.\n\n[In the order of the Revelation the connection is at this point\ninterrupted and the climax suspended by introducing the Episode of the\nSealed Ones (ch. 7:1\u201017), which will be found under IIb. The episodes are\ngiven separately in this outline, and outside of their proper position in\nthe text, for the sake of clearness and emphasis].\n\n\n7 The Opening of the Seventh Seal, Ch. 8:1\n\n\nAt the opening of the seventh seal a vision of heaven wrapped in perfect\nsilence appears: the symbol of mystery, the unrevealed, the unspoken, the\nineffable bliss of heaven which cannot be told in human words or portrayed\nin physical form, the great sabbath of the church\u2019s history,\u2014a significant\nsign of the deep, unbroken rest from conflict and toil into which the\npeople of God shall enter at the end of the earthly trial, and of the\nfulness of joy to be realized in the future life of the redeemed when the\nconflict and judgment of this world are over, all of which now lies beyond\nthe power of words or vision to describe or display. The form of the\nvision is remarkably suggestive; the silence indicates that which cannot\nbe spoken; it gives time for thought that is beyond expression, deepens\n\u201cthe sense of trembling suspense\u201d, and serves to quicken anticipation of\nthe revelation to follow.(403) The contents of this seal are to be\nrealized in the future life of the redeemed after the conflict and\njudgment of this world are over, and they cannot now be revealed except in\nsymbol; they lie beyond the sphere of earthly thought. The half\u2010hour is a\nbroken, fractional number, implying a limited period, and is here the sign\nof the relatively brief time during which John beheld the vision,\u2014for the\nperiod covered by the thought of the vision is the whole period of\neternity, the future endless life with God, and only a glimpse of it is\ngiven at this point in order to reassure the hearts of God\u2019s children in\nthe midst of conflict,\u2014thus affording an impressive break between the\nseals and the trumpets, which, though short in itself, must have seemed\nrelatively long to the beholder in the midst of such stirring scenes. The\nsilence may have been suggested to John\u2019s mind by that which the people\nkept during the time when the priest offered incense in the temple, for we\nfind that the offering of incense by an angel immediately follows (v.\n2\u20105),(404) and the solemnity of that time in John\u2019s own experience of the\nritual worship may well have left its impress upon his mind. In closing\nthe series it remains to be said that the last seal, notwithstanding that\nits contents are incompletely developed, yet joins with the first, and\nserves to mark out the whole course of the church\u2019s history through all\nthe dread and storm of the other seals, as ever advancing from opening\nconquest to final peace, all the trials of the seals leading on to deep\nquiet in the end, the symbol of the great and enduring peace of God.\n\nIt may be well for us before entering upon the episode of consolation in\nthe seventh chapter, to review rapidly the steps by which the prime\npurpose of the Apocalypse has been thus far wrought out in the vision of\nthe seven seals, viz. to encourage the hearts of weak and suffering\nChristians and to fortify their patience on the upward way in the midst of\ntrial and distress by pointing out the path of faith and hope alike to the\ncertainty of victory in the future days of the church upon earth, and to\nthe fulness of joy reserved for the redeemed in the far and fadeless glory\nbeyond. The deeper lesson of the first four seals is one of absolute trust\nin God when the way, as then, was dark and the hearts of men terror\u2010\nstricken. God has not in any sense forsaken his people, the vision\nproclaims, though his path and purpose lie hidden in the night. Amid all\nthe trials of the earthly life his plan is working out unseen through the\nway to final victory. His people must learn the lesson of discipline in\nthe path by which he leads, and strive to trust and be patient and obey,\nwhile he with unerring wisdom rules and works and wins. The closing three\nseals contain a more direct revelation of hope and comfort. Under the\nfifth seal the peace of the future life and the guarantee of recompense to\nthe saints is reassured; the vision of the sixth leads to the episode of\nconsolation which portrays the safe gathering of the redeemed on God\u2019s\nright hand at last, while the contents of the seal itself point to the\nsurety and justice of divine judgment that shall inevitably fall upon sin\nand sinners; and the seventh reveals the endless and unbroken peace and\nglory of the future life with God. Thus, contrary to all appearances in\nthe world of men, the perplexing trials of the Christian life are seen in\nthe apocalyptic vision to be not in vain; the painful discipleship of\nJesus has its abundant reward hereafter; the certain and unfailing victory\nof the righteous lies at the very heart of the eternal purpose of God; and\nthis triumphant hope is presented as an abiding consolation for the\nChristian mind in the midst of prevailing trial and distress.\n\n\n\nIIb The Episode of the Sealed Ones (A Vision of Salvation Assured). Ch.\n7:1\u201017\n\n\nThe episode of the sealed ones is a vision of consolation, that is\nintroduced as a digression between the sixth and seventh seals,\nelaborating the idea of redemption inwrought with judgment, and showing\nthe safety, even in the midst of tribulation, of God\u2019s people who are\ndivinely sealed, as also the certainty of their final reward. It is given\nfor the encouragement of tried and suffering Christians who cannot\nunderstand why they suffer, and as an answer to the question in ch. 6:17,\n\u201cwho shall be able to stand?\u201d i. e. in the midst of such judgment as is\ndepicted under the sixth seal. There is, of course, a manifest element of\nconsolation for the saints in the contents of the seals themselves, as\nindicated above, viz. the certainty of victory under the first, the divine\nlimitation and control signified in the second, third, and fourth, the\npromise of peace and reward in the fifth, of vindication and judgment in\nthe sixth, and of the heavenly rest in the seventh; but this word of\ncomfort receives such a distinct reinforcement and emphasis in the episode\ninterposed as to indicate clearly its purpose. The blessed consolation for\nGod\u2019s people in all ages given in the book of Revelation has not, perhaps,\nbeen sufficiently emphasized in the past,(405) yet this has always made it\na cherished message for those in affliction. The episode is found to\nconsist of two parts, corresponding in some degree to the two\ndispensations, the Old and the New, the first setting forth the surety of\nsalvation in the divine choice out of Israel (v. 1\u20108), and the second the\nfulness of salvation in the restoration to the divine presence of the\nentire body of the redeemed out of all nations (v. 9\u201017), the two together\nmanifesting the consoling thought that redemption triumphs in the midst of\njudgment.\n\n\nA The Sealed of Israel, Ch. 7:1\u20108\n\n\nThe first part of the episode shows Israel\u2019s share in the sure and\nunfailing results of God\u2019s elective and redemptive purpose, and through\nthis the wider truth that God seals and keeps all his own (cf. Ezek.\n9:1\u20106).(406)\n\n\n1 The Angels Holding the Winds, Ch. 7:1\u20103\n\n\nAt the bidding of another angel who ascends from the sunrising as the sign\nthat he brings light and hope, and who bears the seal of the living God as\nthe token of his authority, \u201cthe four angels to whom it was given to hurt\nthe earth and the sea\u201d restrain the winds, which are apparently those of\ndestruction and judgment, until the act of sealing has been accomplished:\nthe symbol of the delay of God\u2019s final judgment upon the world until all\nhis chosen ones are sealed, i. e. are marked as the subjects of\nredemption, or until his redemptive purpose is complete\u2014the choice\nbeginning with Israel. Four, the earth number, is the number of the\nangels, corners, and winds in the vision, indicating the world\u2010wide\ncharacter of the judgment; and the sealing is upon earth, though\napparently not to be thought of as occurring in any particular point of\ntime, and not therefore to be placed, as by some, just preceding the final\njudgment, for in a wider sense the sealing stands as a symbol of\nredemption as a whole, viewed in effect as a process concurrent with the\ntrials of the seals, and illustrated by its operation in Israel.(407) The\ntime of holding back the winds is the entire period of divine grace, and\nthe sealing shows the brighter side of the former picture of trial and\nsuffering\u2014God is ever doing what he did in Israel.\n\n\n2 The Number of the Sealed, Ch. 7:4\u20108\n\n\nThe redeemed are sealed upon the forehead, the sign of the visible and\npersonal ownership of Christ, but the act of sealing is not revealed; as\nthe act of God it is hidden, and only the number of the sealed is given, a\nhundred and forty\u2010four thousand, i. e. the square of twelve, the national\nnumber, multiplied by a thousand, the cube of ten, the number of\ncompleteness,\u2014twelve thousand from each tribe, or twelve, the number of\nthe tribes of Israel, multiplied by a thousand, the number of heavenly\ncompleteness: the symbol of a vast, complete, but indefinite number chosen\nfrom the people of Israel and kept unto eternal life as the first\u2010fruits\nunto God and the Lamb, the true or ideal people of Israel, who are in a\nsense representative of all the redeemed. Other interpreters, accepting\nthe apocalyptic\u2010traditional view of late writers, regard the first section\nof the episode (v. 1\u20108) as a reproduction in form or substance from a\nJewish apocalypse, while the second section (v. 9\u201017), where there is so\nmanifest an expansion of the horizon, is the Christian development of the\nsame idea, showing how the older vision may be understood in our\ntime.(408) Such views evidently have strong attraction for the modern\nmind, but it may well be doubted whether such a view solves as many\ndifficulties as it creates, for it assumes the existence of documents that\nhave no evidence on which to rest except the theory which assumes them.\n\n\nB The Redeemed Out of All Nations, Ch. 7:9\u201017\n\n\nIn this section is presented a view of all the glorified in heaven,\nshowing the world\u2010wide results of redemption, and the ultimate felicity of\nthe redeemed, a scene of triumph in vivid contrast with the trials and\nsufferings of the church upon earth, and a striking illustration of the\ndifference which Christ has brought about through his atoning work.(409)\n\n\n1 The Innumerable Multitude, Ch. 7:9\n\n\nWith the opening of the second part of the episode there is a sudden\nexpansion of the horizon; every barrier of race and nation has\ndisappeared, and a triumphant multitude of the saved from all peoples, a\ncompany which no man could number, far surpassing that of Israel, is seen\nstanding before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes,\nthe symbol of purity,(410) and having palms in their hands, the token of\njoy as well as victory (cf. _I Macc._ 13.51), and perhaps, also, as a sign\nof triumphant homage to the Lamb. The use of palms in the Feast of\nTabernacles may have been foremost in thought here, but we need not\nconfine the significance of the figure to the Jewish symbolism of joy. It\nprobably includes all the ideas connected with palms that were familiar to\nthe thought of the time, without regard to their origin; for it is not\njustifiable to assume that the Apocalypse contains no ideas borrowed from\nheathen antiquity, but moves exclusively within the circle of sacred, that\nis, Jewish imagery and symbols.(411) This represents an opinion which in\nthe light of later studies in Apocalyptic cannot be maintained, though\nmanifestly everything has been assimilated by the Jewish conception, from\nwhatever source it may have been derived. The phase of the vision\npresented in the ninth verse, affords a view of the redeemed church in its\nfulness, the multitude of the saved from both covenants now joined in one\nbody in which no distinction of race or nation exists, a view much wider\nin its scope than the former one of the sealing.(412)\n\nMany commentators, it must be recognized, view this passage differently\n(v. 4\u20109), and maintain the full identity of the hundred and forty\u2010four\nthousand and the great multitude by a somewhat strained exegesis, making\nthe hundred and forty\u2010four thousand the symbol of the Christian\nchurch.(413) In the interpretation of such symbols, however, we must\nalways allow a latitude of view, for different interpretations appeal with\nvarying force to different minds; and it should be remembered in holding\nthe view accepted in this work, that while the symbol is taken from the\ncase of Israel, and is therefore correctly interpreted as applying\nprimarily to the people of Israel, yet it is not Jews as distinguished\nfrom Gentiles that are meant, but the saints of the Old Testament as\ndistinguished from those of the New, the few in contrast with the many;\nand that in a wider sense the figure symbolizes salvation as a whole,\nrepresented here by a part in which it is shown to be effective, the main\nidea being salvation made certain and efficient by the divine act of\nsealing, while in the great multitude the symbol is that of salvation\nbecome world\u2010wide in its results. The question of the identity of the two\ngroups is therefore subordinate, and cannot be regarded as of any special\nimportance.\n\nIt may be well at this point, in view of the great and radiant multitude\nof the redeemed, the innumerable company out of all nations and tribes and\npeoples and tongues, who stand before the throne and join in the cry of\n\u201cSalvation unto our God ... and unto the Lamb\u201d (v. 10), for us to\nemphasize the wide\u2010spread and triumphant effect of the gospel in the world\nof men which is here foreshown. It has been too often asserted by modern\ncritics that the outlook of the Revelation is narrow and Jewish, and its\nview limited and discouraging. As against this it is well to remember the\nlesson of these verses, as well as that of many other similar passages\nthroughout the book (cf. chs. 5:9; 21:24; 22:7, _et al._). We should also\nclearly see that the Revelation from its nature and purpose deals chiefly\nwith the plan of God for the ages, and with the causes and events which\nlead on to the end of the world, and that therefore its essential message\nis not addressed to evangelistic effort or to missionary enterprise, but\nto faith in God when days are dark and storms fill the sky, and to\npreparation for meeting him in a fairer world when earthly days are done.\nYet the book just as clearly shows that the divine plan both includes and\nprepares for the essentially world\u2010wide and universal mission of\nChristianity; and the message of the gospel to every creature is repeated\nand emphasized throughout in such a way as to make plain that the great\nwork and chief purpose of the Kingdom of God in the earth is to redeem and\nto save the lost. And surely this important truth should never be left out\nof view in our perusal of the book.\n\n\n2 The Cry of the Church Triumphant, Ch. 7:10\u201012\n\n\nThe whole body of the redeemed, the saved out of both covenants, the\nunited company which no man could number, that includes both Jews and\nGentiles, is heard unitedly to cry with a loud voice, \u201cSalvation unto our\nGod ... and unto the Lamb\u201d, i. e. salvation is attributed unto God and the\nLamb(414) (the Salvation Chorus), while all the heavenly court join them\nin a seven\u2010fold symphony of praise. This is the last in a series of\ngrowing doxologies. In ch. 1:6 the praise ascribed is twofold, in ch. 4:11\nit is threefold, in ch. 5:13 it is fourfold, and now in ch. 7:12 it is\nsevenfold\u2014\u201cBlessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor,\nand power, and might, _be_ unto our God forever and ever\u201d. It should also\nbe noted that in the Salvation Chorus, for the first of three times in the\nbook, salvation is ascribed by a voice from heaven to God, or to God and\nto Christ, viz. in chs. 7:10; 12:10; and 19:1.\n\n\n3 The Redeemed Before the Throne, Ch. 7:13\u201017\n\n\nJohn\u2019s attention is at this point specially directed to the triumphant\ncompany that is before the throne of God by one of the elders (v.\n13f.)(415) in order to emphasize that they of that company have come\nvictorious out of the great tribulation of the earthly life, and\n_therefore_ they are ever before the throne serving God day and night in\nhis temple, i. e. in the \u03bd\u03b1\u1f78\u03c2, the shrine of the temple in heaven, and\nsharing in the exceeding blessedness of the divine presence as their great\nreward. \u201cAnd he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle\nover them ... and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.\u201d(416) It\nis not likely that by the great tribulation in v. 14 is meant a special\nperiod of trial such as is implied in ch. 3:10, and by the words of our\nLord in Mat. 24:21, but rather the world\u2010tribulation that belongs to the\nearthly life of the Christian throughout all time, \u201cthe tribulation of\nJesus\u201d (ch. 1:9) in which John felt that he had a share. Some, however,\nthink that it is the same period of trial referred to before as preceding\nthe end of the world.(417) Thus with a prophetic view of the redeemed\nbefore the throne the episode closes, and the seventh seal is opened (ch.\n8:1).\n\n\n\nIII The Vision of the Seven Trumpets (A Vision of Threatening). Ch.\n8:2\u20109:21, and 11:14\u201019\n\n\nThe vision of the seven trumpets sets forth in pictorial form a divine\nproclamation of the judgments of God upon the sinful world, especially\nthose to be experienced throughout the prospective history of mankind\nuntil the final consummation of all things. It consists of another group\nof seven that are parallel in a certain sense to the vision of the seals,\ncovering like them the path of the ages, but that form a separate series\ncomplete in themselves and that are issued for a different purpose, the\nseals specially manifesting God\u2019s care of his people in the midst of\ntrial, while the trumpets reveal the divine punishment visited upon the\nsinful. These two lines of judgment are conceived of as occurring mainly\nin the same period, but looked at from another point of view: or, perhaps,\nit might better be said, that we have here another group of seven which\nfollow the whole course of history and develop a new line of divinely\nordered occurrences that neither follow nor precede, but are quite\nindependent of any time\u2010relation to the preceding series of the seals. The\nnumber of the trumpets, like that of the seals, is intended to indicate\nthe completeness of the series, for seven is the number of completeness.\nThey are general indications of God\u2019s judgments, and though particular\nevents may be partial fulfilments, the complete fulfilment is in all\ntime.(418)\n\n\nA The Preparation for the Trumpets, Ch. 8:2\u20106\n\n\nIn a short intervening section preparatory to the trumpets, we are shown\nthat the prayers of the saints lead to the manifestation of divine wrath\nagainst sin. These verses, it may be said, form a transition from the\nvision of the seals to that of the trumpets, and are in fact included by\nsome under the seventh seal, though not properly belonging to it. The\nformer vision reaches a fitting close in the period of eternal rest which\nis looked upon under the seventh seal, and we wait in the quiet that it\nbrings, expecting the end to be announced at once. But instead of that a\nfurther vision is revealed to the seer, and we again traverse the course\nof history by a different path to its ending. In another series of seven\nunder the trumpets the punishment of the ungodly is reviewed, and divine\nwrath is seen to fall upon the heads of the sinful. This succeeding series\nof trumpet visions is introduced by verses two to six in the eighth\nchapter.\n\n\n1 An Angel Offers Incense upon the Golden Altar, Ch. 8:3\u20105\n\n\nThe incense is added unto the prayers of all the saints which are thus\ntypically purified, and they are straightway presented before the throne\nof God in heaven. Incense was the symbol of prayer under the Old\nTestament, but it becomes here, by a further development of the symbol,\nthe vehicle for bearing the prayers to the throne, and the action\napparently follows the form of the Jewish ritual worship. An angel\nstanding over the brazen altar of sacrifice, takes fire from it in a\ngolden censer or fire\u2010pan, and much incense is then given him to add unto\nthe prayers of all the saints, evidently for their purification and that\nhe may offer them at the golden altar of incense which is before the\nthrone of God. Completing this action, the angel returns again to the\nbrazen altar to take fire from it that he may cast it as the symbol of\njudgment upon the earth (cf. Ezek. 10:2f). Others, however, think that\nonly one altar, that of incense, is referred to in the action.(419) In\neither case the worship of the Old Testament is the basis of the figure,\nthough the scene is laid in heaven. \u201cAnd there followed thunders, and\nvoices, and lightnings, and an earthquake\u201d, the tokens of God\u2019s presence\nand of the approaching divine judgment.\n\n\n2 The Seven Angels Prepare to Sound, Ch. 8:2, 6\n\n\nTo the seven angels are given seven trumpets with charge of the series of\nimpending woes; and the angels put the trumpets to their lips ready to\nsound, mention of which is made in order to emphasize the importance to be\nattached to their action as angels who stand before God. Their position\nimplies special service, and their number doubtless indicates the\nperfection of their ministry.(420) The trumpet, which was the common\ninstrument for public announcement, and often connected with the idea of\njudgment,(421) may be here intended to recall its use at the fall of\nJericho (Josh. 6:4f). The seven angels may also be taken to represent the\nwhole body of angel ministrants who serve before God, just as the seven\nchurches symbolize the whole church.\n\n\nB The Trumpets Sounded, Ch. 8:7\u20109:21; and 11:14\u201019\n\n\nThe sounding of the trumpets represents the proclamation of signal and\ndestructive judgments upon the ungodly world. The form of these judgments\nin the vision was adapted to current conceptions of great calamities, and\nmay be regarded as symbolizing all the terrible woes in store for all the\nwicked in all the ages\u2014wide world\u2010pictures of the divine purpose of\npunishment. The latter half of the first century was marked by many\nterrible visitations, such as earthquakes, famines, and plagues, and it\nshould not be thought strange to find these events reflected in such a\nbook as the Apocalypse at a time when they were fresh in the public mind.\nThat they had some such source is evident, for the graphic descriptions of\nappalling disaster by earthquake in Martinique (1901), and in Messina\n(1908), have served to illumine many passages in the Revelation, as have\nalso other similar occurrences previously known. These judgments in the\nvisions constitute not only the divine means of punishment, but become the\ndivine test of character, revealing the essential nature of evil men; for\nthe effect of the judgments, unlike that of the seals, falls mainly upon\nthe evil.\n\n\n1 The Sounding of the First Trumpet, Ch. 8:7\n\n\nThe sounding of the first trumpet is followed by hail and fire mingled in\nblood cast upon the earth: the symbol of disaster visited upon the land,\nand men punished by such means as in the days of Pharaoh,\u2014for fire is a\nsymbol of the divine presence and wrath, and the blood indicates the\ndestructive effects about to be wrought upon both the animate and\ninanimate creation for the chastisement of man. The resemblance of the\nfirst four judgments of the trumpets and also of the vials to the plagues\nof Egypt, is too manifest to escape the attention of any careful reader of\nScripture, and affords a ready proof of their representative character.\nThese well\u2010known historic incidents of judgment, belonging to the birth\u2010\nperiod of the Hebrew nation, which are so deeply inwrought in the Old\nTestament story, and whose significance was so well understood, become the\nready types of other judgments that are sent with a similar purpose and\nthat belong to the divine order, but the intimate nature of which it was\nnot the divine purpose to disclose. They are widely suggestive of God\u2019s\npower over things the most permanent and stable. The destruction of but a\nthird part of the objects affected as the result of the trumpet series,\nrepresents a limited judgment, not an actual third but a fractional\nportion destroyed, a great but not the greater part. The earth, the sea,\nthe rivers, and the heavenly bodies, on which the first four judgments\nfall, are parts of a fourfold division of the universe which is common in\nthis book, and are intended to designate the entire created world, both\nhere and in the vision of the vials.(422) In this comprehensive\ndesignation the earth, or the land, was thought of as the nourishing\nmother and the dwelling\u2010place of man; the sea as the agent and arena of\ncommerce; the rivers as the seat of cities, the centres of population, the\narteries of trade, and the source of water supply; and the heavenly bodies\nas the source of light, and as the rulers of destiny\u2014together representing\nin common thought the great things of life to the world of men. Disaster\nto these, the sources of wealth and well\u2010being, has always been among\nOriental nations the type of all that is most terrible.\n\n\n2 The Sounding of the Second Trumpet, Ch. 8:8\u20109\n\n\nThe sounding of the second trumpet is followed by, as it were, a great\nmountain burning with fire cast into the sea, thereby working widespread\nruin: the symbol of disaster visited upon the sea, one part of creation\nwhich is used as God\u2019s agent for punishing mankind. To move a mountain was\na token of divine power, and it was blazing with fire as a sign of the\ndivine presence and wrath\u2014another Sinai in effect flung into the sea. This\nstriking figure of a mountain of fire was perhaps suggested to John\u2019s mind\nby a volcano, with which he must have become familiar while resident in\nAsia; but attention is directed more particularly in these visions,\nespecially the first four, to the effect produced rather than to the means\nused, whether hail and fire, or a mountain, or a star, or the smiting of\nthe planets.(423) The effect produced is one of great terror, though the\nway in which it applies to men is left to be inferred, and is not\nattempted to be described. Such an incident was well adapted to the\nthought of the first century, and could not but strike terror in the mind\nof the beholder because of the complete helplessness of men in the\npresence of such a disaster. It presents a wide field for thought, the\nlimits of which are not defined. It is in fact one way of saying that God\nwill make all nature to strive against man because of sin.\n\n\n3 The Sounding of the Third Trumpet, Ch. 8:10\u201011\n\n\nThe sounding of the third trumpet is followed by the falling of a great\nstar from heaven, called Wormwood, upon the waters, burning as a torch and\nmaking them bitter: the symbol of disaster visited upon the rivers and\nfountains of waters, still another part of creation, as an act of divine\njudgment upon sinful men who dwell by the waters. As under the former\ntrumpets only a third part was affected: \u201cAnd many men died of the waters,\nbecause they were made bitter.\u201d The falling of a star was regarded as a\nsign of some great disaster about to happen, and is here apparently\nintended to be typical of judgment sent from heaven, while the name\nWormwood signifies the bitterness of the trouble which it entails upon\nmen. But beyond this all is indefinite, a quality characteristic of\nApocalyptic which often heightens rather than lessens the general effect.\nThe bitter waters expressed the moral bitterness that men must taste\nbecause of their sin: the wide result is thus covered by an unspoken\nappeal to thought through a significant symbol.\n\n\n4 The Sounding of the Fourth Trumpet, Ch. 8:12\n\n\nThe sounding of the fourth trumpet is followed by the smiting of the sun,\nmoon, and stars: the symbol of disaster visited upon the heavenly bodies,\nnot only destroying their light but inflicting a punishment peculiarly\nterrifying to the Oriental mind because of the occult influence which\nthese bodies were supposed to exert upon the future destinies of men. We\nneed not necessarily regard John as personally sharing in this opinion,\nbut only as using the language and appealing to the thought of his time,\nas in the preceding reference to the falling star. He seems to look upon\nthese strange occurrences mainly as signs of the divine purpose, as\n\u201cwonders in the heavens and in the earth\u201d (Joel 2:30) through which God\nwrought in manifesting his will. The evils resulting from this visitation\nin the vision, as in the former judgments, are suggested rather than\nnamed; but they lie before the mind in a haunting way to be filled in by a\nvivid imagination with scenes of terror and wrath.\n\n\n(1) The Eagle and Its Message, Ch. 8:13\n\n\nAt this point an eagle (not an angel, as in the Authorized Version), the\nsymbol of carnage, appears flying high in mid\u2010heaven, crying, \u201cWoe! Woe!\nWoe!\u201d and indicating by its rapid flight and thrice repeated call of\nterror the swiftness of the three coming woes of the remaining\ntrumpets.(424) Also three, the number of the spiritual in contrast with\nthe material, serves to indicate the sphere to which these judgments\nbelong. These three, the fifth, sixth, and seventh, are often called the\n\u201cwoe\u2010trumpets\u201d, and their effects are visited directly upon men, not\nindirectly through natural objects as under the preceding four of the\nseries.\n\n\n5 The Sounding of the Fifth Trumpet, Ch. 9:1\u201012\n\n\nThe sounding of the fifth trumpet is followed by a vision of a star from\nheaven, fallen unto earth, the symbolic representation of Satan cast out\nof heaven for his sin, and by smoke as of a great furnace enveloping a\nswarm of locusts that ascend from the pit of the abyss, the present\ndwelling\u2010place of Satan and the familiar haunt of demons: the symbol of\ndisaster to men through Satan and his multitudinous host, \u201cthe spiritual\nhosts of wickedness\u201d (Eph. 6:12), the demons from the pit. These are\npermitted to torment men, producing bitter anguish for five months, the\nusual life of the locust, and the symbol of an incomplete or limited\nperiod of time, which may here refer to the time of man\u2019s existence upon\nthe earth. Five, the half of ten the complete number, is a symbol of\nincompleteness or indefiniteness. The invading army of locusts is a well\u2010\nknown figure of widespread disaster, as in the prophecy of Joel (ch.\n2:1\u201011). In accordance with general apocalyptic usage the pit of the abyss\nis regarded as the present abode of the Devil and his angels, and is\nconceived of as a vast subterranean depth connecting with the surface of\nthe earth by a great shaft or well which can be opened or closed from\nabove, and the entrance to which may be locked or unlocked by a key.(425)\nThat which at first seems to be a cloud of smoke proves to be teeming with\nforms of life, an evident token of the hidden nature of the source of\nevil. The power of the locusts is directed immediately against the wicked,\nsuch men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads, while their sting\nseems to be the type of the poison of sin which they infuse into the veins\nof men, and the torment which they inflict to refer to the visitation of\nsins that bring terrible punishment upon the offenders so that men prefer\ndeath rather than life. The description of the locusts as \u201clike unto\nhorses prepared for war etc.\u201d, is a realistic touch intended to heighten\nthe sense of terror, but not to identify them with any objects in human\nexperience. Also the statement that \u201ctheir faces were as men\u2019s faces\u201d,\nimplies only that they were like men in appearance, though some think this\npoints to human agents. The star is here used in a quite different sense\nfrom that under the third trumpet,\u2014for to insist that all objects must\nhave a single symbolism, and that the star must mean the same in every\ncase, i. e. a person, there as well as here, is to neglect one of the\nclearest lessons of Apocalyptic. Here it is a personification or symbol of\nSatan (Isa. 14:12), the angel of the abyss, who is named Apollyon,(426) i.\ne. one who causes perdition to mankind, or in Hebrew, Abaddon, i. e. the\ndestroyer, a sufficient identification for the reader of the Old\nTestament. The awful woe that the world of evil men suffers at the hands\nof Satan and his legions is the ideal content of this trumpet; and we\nnotice that the severity of the judgments seems to increase as they\nprogress toward the end. The first woe is now declared to be past (v. 12),\nbut two others are foretold as yet to come.\n\n\n6 The Sounding of the Sixth Trumpet, Ch. 9:13\u201021, and 11:14\n\n\nThe sounding of the sixth trumpet is followed by the loosing of four\nangels from the bed of the Euphrates (which is done at the bidding of a\nvoice from the four horns(427) of the golden altar of incense that is\nbefore God, and underneath which are the souls of them that had been slain\nfor the Word of God\u2014evidently a divine command) who had been prepared for\nan appointed time, even \u201cfor the hour and day and month and year, that\nthey should kill the third part of men\u201d from the earth, and by the coming\nof a vast invading army of horsemen, the double square of a myriad, or two\nhundred millions in all, the largest number used in the Apocalypse, the\ntype of an innumerable multitude, which apparently act under direction of\nthe four angels, and destroy a third part of men from the earth:(428) the\nsymbol of disaster to men through the world\u2010forces of heathenism, which\nare under direction of the world\u2010rulers of the darkness (Eph. 6:12). The\nunbinding of the angels is the symbol of evil let loose among men, for the\nangels are evil as is indicated by their being bound, by their number, and\nby the place of their imprisonment, i. e. the binding is the symbol of\ndivine restraint until the appointed time; their number is four, the earth\nnumber, indicating that they belong to this world which is usually thought\nof as evil; and the Euphrates, the place where they are bound, is the old\nseat of the world\u2010power, and the representative of heathenism with its\nmultitudinous host. The evils inflicted by the heathen nations upon\nmankind, especially the evils of war with their concomitant results, are\nhere indicated by this forceful figure; yet these, though deep and\nterrible, entirely fail to turn the rest of men, who escape death, from\nidol worship and its attendant impurities\u2014a marvelous forecast of the path\nof history, for the heathen powers have time and again become the agents\nof woe to mankind, yet the people have not awakened to the true source of\ntheir sorrow in idolatry. The description of the horses and of their\nriders in the vision is purely an ideal one, intended to make them the\nobjects of greatest terror, a true Oriental touch, appealing to the vivid\nEastern imagination as such figures do with us to the minds of children.\nThe woes of men at the hands of heathen nations is the evident content of\nthis trumpet, as is clearly indicated in the twentieth verse of the\nchapter. At this point the second woe is declared to be past, and the\nthird to be about to come quickly (ch. 11:14); but between them intervenes\na vision of divine help, and of the value of the church\u2019s witness (ch.\n10:1\u201011:13).\n\nThis view of the fifth and sixth trumpets seems to meet more fully the\nstatements of the text than other views, and to conform best to the\ngeneral character of the whole series; for notwithstanding the recognized\nobscurity of the trumpet visions, we can surely discern divine judgments\nfor wrongdoing in the first four, under forms of physical evil visited\nupon the natural creation, and in the remaining three, manifestations of\nmoral evil visited upon men for their sin. That the pit or abyss points to\ndemoniacal forces, and the Euphrates to human agencies, is sufficiently\nevident without discussion.(429) The application of the incidents of the\nfifth and sixth trumpets to Mohammedans and Turks by some of the\nhistorical school, who have even interpreted the tails of the horses as a\nprophetic reference to these well\u2010known symbols of authority used by\nTurkish Pashas, is a curious example of capricious fancy. The fact that\nthe events predicted under the sixth trumpet find a wide exemplification\nin the incursions of Turk and Mohammedan, Goth and Vandal, is only a\nclearer proof of their ideal character. And it is surely better to leave\nthese highly wrought imaginative symbols of the trumpets, with their deep\nsuggestiveness of appalling forms of coming evil, in the vague\nindefiniteness in which we find them, rather than to mar their beauty by\nweak and narrow interpretations.\n\n[The Episode IIIb, which in this work is given after the seventh trumpet,\noccurs at the present point in the vision covering chs. 10:1 to 11:13. The\nconnection is resumed in ch. 11:14, for the second woe found in that verse\nbelongs in order of thought at the close of the sixth trumpet, the\nintervening part being parenthetical\u2014see the Scripture text as paragraphed\nin this volume].\n\n\n7 The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, Ch. 11:15\u201019\n\n\nThe sounding of the seventh trumpet is followed by great voices in heaven,\ndeclaring that the kingdom of the world is now become _the kingdom_ of our\nLord and of his Christ;(430) by the elders praising God that the time of\njudgment and reward has come (the Victory Chorus); by the ark of the\ncovenant, the token of God\u2019s abiding presence, being revealed in the\nopened temple in heaven\u2014a traditional sign in the later Judaism of the\ncoming of the Messiah;(431) and by lightnings, voices, thunders, and an\nearthquake with great hail, the necessary accompaniments in Jewish thought\nof the great and final day of wrath: the multiple symbol of the final\njudgment, and of the glorious triumph of God\u2019s kingdom. The contents of\nthe seventh trumpet are not fully developed, perhaps because they are too\ngreat for description, but in it we reach the climax and issue of the\nwhole process of judgment that is exhibited in the series, the full and\nfinal establishment of the kingdom. The result is viewed in its entirety,\nand the millennial period of victory is not brought separately into view.\nThe unveiling of the ark of covenant mercy and the ushering in of the\nkingdom close the vision, and constitute an informal transition to the\nvision of conflict through which the triumph has been effected.\n\nIf we now rapidly recall the whole course of the seven trumpets, we can\nsee how with progressive movement they increase in severity as they go\nforward; the judgments they prefigure fall first upon the land, and then\nconsecutively upon the sea, upon the fountains of water, and upon the\nheavenly bodies, as signs of God\u2019s judgment upon the physical universe,\nand thus upon men who in their earthly lives form part of the natural\nworld; then with the fifth trumpet the judgments take a wider trend, and\npoint to and include the setting free of numberless demonic forces of evil\nfrom the pit of the abyss to prey upon men, and under the sixth trumpet\nthe loosing of the multitudinous world\u2010forces of heathenism from the banks\nof the Euphrates to bring world\u2010wide judgments upon the race, thus\npreparing the way for the blowing of the seventh trumpet which ushers in\nthe day of cumulative wrath upon sin, and the final triumph of God\u2019s\nkingdom. This onward progress of the plan of the ages is only broken by a\npassing view of the possibility of recovery for men in the episode of the\nangel and the book, and of the two witnesses, which follows. The whole\nsweep of the judgments of the trumpets, in the view of Apocalyptic\nperspective, is toward the end of the present world and the triumph of\nrighteousness in the final judgment. There the redeemed are left with God\nin his glorious kingdom; the after life is not attempted to be described;\nits blessings are evidently too great for our present comprehension. But\nthe triumph would not be so definite, without the vision of conflict which\nfollows, for it presents the path to victory through prevailing trial and\nopposition as ever leading on to complete and final triumph in the end,\nthat is to be realized in the glorious presence of the Lamb who is\nrevealed as standing upon Mount Zion in the midst of the redeemed.\n\n\n\nIIIb The Episode of the Angel with the Book; and of the Two Witnesses (A\nVision of Divine Help). Ch. 10:1\u201011:13\n\n\nThis twofold vision forms a digression between the sixth and seventh\ntrumpets, similar to the episode between the sixth and seventh seals,\nsetting forth the opportunities which God has afforded men of escaping his\nwrath, showing the divine method of help through the institutions of\nreligion, and affirming the permanent value of the church\u2019s witness,\u2014a\nparagraph that notwithstanding its acknowledged difficulty, is manifestly\ninterposed for the comfort of the church as well as to prepare the way for\nthe last woe of the remaining trumpet.(432) The restraint of wrath\nindicated by the destruction of only the third part under the trumpets, is\nnow further developed by showing the divine offer of escape; and also\nman\u2019s common neglect of that offer, which leads at length to final doom\nunder the seventh trumpet. The episode, it will be seen, differs in theme\nfrom the one under the seals, the former setting forth the divine side of\nredemption, and the surety of its accomplishment through the act of\nsealing, the latter showing the human side of redemption as it is made\nknown to men through the institutions of religion, and the failure of its\nuniversal operation through unbelief, leaving the world without excuse to\nbear the weight of judgment\u2014the one throwing light upon God\u2019s relation to\nthe church, and the other upon his relation to the world, in accordance\nwith the general theme of the seals and the trumpets. Though many are\nunable to agree that John had such a comprehensive view in mind, or that\nit is to be looked for in a writing of this class, yet when we consider\nthe various marks of elaborate structure in the book, exhibited in the\nrelation of its different parts, and the deep prophetic insight and poetic\nintuition manifested by the author in his idealization of the course of\nthe church, we need not be surprised to find a broad and perspicuous view\nof redemption such as this, especially since the plan of salvation had\nalready been so fully elaborated in an earlier period by the great Apostle\nto the Gentiles.\n\n\nA The Angel with the Little Open Book, Ch. 10:1\u201011\n\n\nThe first part of the episode exhibits the revelation of God\u2019s will and\npurpose as a source of help. The little book in the vision is evidently\nthe Apocalypse, though in a broader sense it doubtless represents as well\nthe general purpose and beneficent effects of all God\u2019s revelations to\nmen; and the book is found open to indicate that its contents are made\nknown to the world. Some regard the little book to be the remaining part\nof the Apocalypse, beginning with the succeeding chapter;(433) by others\nits contents are considered to begin with chapter twelve, the first break\nin continuity after the episode; but it seems more likely that the whole\nbook is intended. In any case it is clear that the prophetic form in which\nthe writer\u2019s ministry is to be realized (viz. \u201cthou must prophesy again\nover many peoples and nations and tongues and kings\u201d, v. 11) serves to\nlink the center of the book (ch. 10:11) with both the beginning (ch. 1:3)\nand the end (ch. 22:19),(434) and thereby furnishes an incidental proof of\nits unity of design.\n\n\n1 The Angel Foretells the End, Ch. 10:1\u20107\n\n\nA mighty angel, the representative of Christ and bearing his\ninsignia,(435) having a book in his hand, and standing both upon sea and\nland as a sign of his world\u2010wide mission, declares the coming end under\nthe seventh trumpet, when the mystery of God\u2019s method and purpose in human\nlife and redemption shall be fully revealed and finally manifested in the\nestablishment of his universal kingdom. The manner of the angel is scenic\nand impressive, and the message is one of undoubted power.\n\n\n(1) The Thunder Voices, Ch. 10:3b and 4\n\n\nSeven thunders utter their voices(436) in token of the approaching\njudgment, but John is directed by a voice from heaven to seal them up and\nis forbidden to record them, probably indicating that the terrors of God\u2019s\nvoice in judgment are for the present hidden from men; though some regard\nthe voices as introduced only to emphasize the element of mystery with\nwhich the Apocalyptic form always delighted to clothe its thought. The\nvoice, declared to be from heaven in verse four, is apparently not\nintended to indicate by whom the words were spoken, but only the source\nfrom which they came; some, however, attribute them to Christ.\n\n\n2 The Book Delivered to John, Ch. 10:8\u201011\n\n\nThe book is Christ\u2019s revelation to John in the Apocalypse, a little open\nbook or scroll (v. 2), evidently set in contrast with the great sealed\nbook of God\u2019s purposes in chapter five; and it is taken by the Apostle, in\nobedience to a voice out of heaven, from the hand of the angel, who\ncommands him to eat it, thereby indicating that John should digest the\nprophecy therein contained (Ezek. 3:1\u20103).(437) Though it was sweet to his\ntaste at first as a message from Christ, it became bitter afterward when\nits deeper meaning was understood, for it told of long continued trial and\nconflict instead of speedy triumph and victory. The prophecy is declared\nto be \u201cover [i. e. concerning] many peoples and nations and tongues and\nkings\u201d, a fourfold prediction, showing its world\u2010wide application and\nindicating its ideal content.\n\nIt was the common thought of the early church that the period of the\nChristian dispensation would be very brief; and it may have been in order\nto dispel in some measure this illusion, and at the same time to inculcate\npatience and hope by showing the ideal shortness of the Christian age in\nGod\u2019s eternal plan, that we are to find one of the many purposes of the\nApocalypse. For it should be noted that by the end of the first century\nthe view\u2010point on this subject shows a material change. The attitude of\nJohn\u2019s Gospel toward the second coming of Christ is manifestly different\nfrom that of the Synoptists;(438) the significant predictions of Christ\nconcerning his own return are omitted, notably the discourse on the last\nthings (Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21); and the only references to his coming\nagain are indirect (Jn. 14:3, 18, 28; 16:22; and 22:22\u20103), though from\nthese it is evident that it is subsumed throughout, a view that is\nconfirmed by the Epistles (I Jn. 2:28; and 3:2). This is far from showing,\nas some hold, that the coming predicted was only figurative, and was\nfulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem, an event already past when\nJohn\u2019s Gospel was written; but seems rather to indicate that the earlier\nstage of thought, shared in by all the apostles, which expected the Lord\u2019s\nreturn within the first generation, had given way to a new and wider\noutlook which emphasized the continuous coming that is present and\nspiritual more than the personal coming that is future and outward, though\nwithout losing faith in the surety of that coming. And even if the later\ndate of the Apocalypse be not conceded, yet coming from the same source as\nthe Fourth Gospel, we might not unnaturally expect to find in it some\nanticipation of this view involving delay, for the coming thought of in\nthe visions is undoubtedly personal and future.\n\n\nB The Two Witnesses, Ch. 11:1\u201013\n\n\nThe second part of the episode sets forth the indestructibility and\npermanent value of the two special divine institutions for human help,\nviz. revealed religion and the church; and shows the triumph of enduring\nwitness for the truth.\n\n\n1 The Measurement of the Temple, Ch. 11:1\u20102\n\n\nThe \u03bd\u03b1\u1f78\u03c2, or inner sanctuary of the temple of God, is at this point\nintroduced in the vision, a term which applied to the apartments of the\ntemple building proper, including the holy of holies, the holy place, and\nin this case by implication the inner court, as distinguished from the\n\u1f31\u03b5\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd which applied to the whole temple and included all the buildings\nwith the outer courts. The \u03bd\u03b1\u1f78\u03c2 in classical Greek is the sanctuary or\ncell of a temple where the image of the god was placed. In Hebrew usage,\nas applied to the temple at Jerusalem, it signifies the sacred edifice so\ncalled, including the holy and most holy place.(439) Thus it is the true\ntemple with the altar and them that worship therein, i. e. the entire\ncontents of the inner court, the combined symbol of revealed religion and\nof those who accept its truths, especially the revelation and worshippers\naccording to the Old Testament, which is here introduced in the vision.\nThis is directed to be measured, i. e. it is to be subjected to careful\nscrutiny, and its proportions are to be observed, the sign as in Zechariah\n(ch. 2:1f.) of preservation and renewal, and not of destruction. The\nmeasurement apparently applies to the heavenly temple, though it may be\ninterpreted either of the temple at Jerusalem or its counterpart in\nheaven, for to the Jewish mind the earthly temple was the type and shadow\nof the heavenly (Heb. 9:5).(440) In either case the meaning is the same,\nviz. only that which corresponds to the outer court of the earthly,(441)\nthe unessential portion, is given up by the fall of Jerusalem to be\ntrodden underfoot of the nations (Lk. 21:24) during forty\u2010two months (v.\n2), the indefinite period of the world\u2019s conflict with the church (see\nApp\u2019x. E). The true temple with its worshippers, the heart and center of\nthe religious life of Israel, is indestructible and reappears in heaven\nwith the ark of the covenant restored (v. 19). This is a symbolic\nexpression of the important truth that the revealed religion of Israel is\nto endure, the best in Judaism is imperishable, all that is fundamental\nand essential is preserved though the outer form be destroyed;(442) and it\nwas designed to be a vision of comfort for the Jewish Christians, who\nnaturally regarded the ruin of the temple as a profound calamity. The\nvision has been regarded by many interpreters as indicating that the\ntemple and the city of Jerusalem were still standing when this was\nwritten, thus confirming the earlier date of the Revelation (circ. A. D.\n69); but the weight of evidence to be attached to an Apocalyptic vision as\ntestimony in such a case is very small, and is quite insufficient when\ncompared with other evidences of the historical situation found in the\nbook.(443) It is evident, also, that there is a reference in the symbolism\nhere used, i. e. in the preservation not only of the altar, but \u201cof them\nthat worship therein\u201d, to the preservation of the Jews as a people, and\ntheir future restoration when the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled\n(Lu. 21:24), though not necessarily to Palestine,(444) and surely not to a\nrebuilded temple, which in any case would be mere incidents, but to the\nricher blessings of renewed fellowship with God, of which the temple and\nits service were to the Jewish mind the truest type (cf. Rom. 11:1f.). The\nlate Apocalyptic\u2010Traditional view, it may be mentioned, attributes verses\none and two to a former Jewish apocalypse that has been lost, which is\nhere quoted as an introduction to the prophecy of the two witnesses that\nfollows. It may well be doubted, however, whether this theory of the\norigin of the passage adds anything effective to its interpretation.\n\n\n2 The Two Witnesses and their Martyrdom, Ch. 11:3\u201013\n\n\nThe two witnesses who prophesy, i. e. bear witness for God, and whom God\never preserves throughout all vicissitudes, and delivers even out of\nseeming destruction, are the churches of the Old and New Dispensations\nwhich have been divinely called to witness for the truth.(445) The two\nolive trees represent the Old and New Testament revelations which supply\noil, the symbol of grace, to the two candlesticks, i. e. to the two\nchurches,(446) the Jewish and Christian, that have been and are God\u2019s\nspecial witnesses throughout the ages (cf. Zech. 4:2f.). The identity of\nthe candlesticks and witnesses is shown both by the connection, and by the\nexplicit statement of verse four: \u201cThese [two witnesses] are the two olive\ntrees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth,\u201d i.\ne. the witnesses are, in a sense, both the Old and New Testament\nrevelations and the churches of the Old and New Dispensations, which alike\nwitness for the truth of God, though the connection shows that the\nchurches are specially intended.(447) Two is the number of confirmation in\nwitness\u2010bearing (Jn. 8:17); hence the two witnesses may also be considered\nto symbolize the sufficiency of the testimony of the Old and New Testament\nchurches, as also a sufficient number in the church in every age who\nwitness for God and truth. These have power that is not of man but\ndivinely given, as is indicated in symbolic language (v. 5\u20106), yet when\ntheir testimony is finished, the Beast out of the abyss, the world\u2010power\nof chapter thirteen, introduced here by anticipation, accomplishes their\napparent overthrow. Out of this deadly conflict with the world, and the\napparent defeat and eventually the death of the witnesses, with the\nexposure of their dead bodies and contemptuous refusal of burial, a\npersonal indignity and sign of hatred and contempt, the fitting type of\nthe world\u2019s treatment of the church in all ages and times, which in the\nvision occurs in Babylon, \u201cthe great city\u201d, the type of the godless\nworld,\u2014out of all this seeming defeat comes ultimate victory. After three\nand a half days the breath of life from God enters into them, and they\nlive again, and go up to heaven in a cloud. This points to the experience\nof grave peril by the church preceding her triumph, including temporary\nand seeming extinction at the hands of her enemies, and forming the\noccasion for an expression of their supreme contempt, an experience such\nas has occurred at different periods in her history, and which may,\nindeed, occur again in the future\u2014the church persecuted, scattered,\npeeled, seemingly destroyed, but revived and restored by the power of God.\nThree and a half days of defeat,\u2014a broken number, indicating a short but\nindefinite period in contrast with the three and a half years, or forty\u2010\ntwo months, or a thousand two hundred and three score days, (v. 3), the\nlength of the entire world\u2010conflict,\u2014a time of rejoicing by them that\ndwell upon the earth, is followed, as in the case of our Lord, by\nresurrection, ascension, and triumph, a parallel that is apparently\nsuggested by the similarity and was doubtless intended. This is true not\nonly of individual saints who have borne witness and suffered death only\nto rise again in the witness of others and in their own personal\nresurrection, but is especially true of the church in a collective sense,\nboth under the Old Testament and the New, which always rises triumphant\nafter every great disaster in her history, and shall rise again in all her\nmembers at the resurrection of the last day after her witness is\ncomplete.(448) God avenges his own, as is indicated in the vision by the\nfall of the tenth part of the city, which is the share of the tithe under\nthe Mosaic law, and by the death of seven thousand men, a great and\ncomplete number, seven multiplied by a thousand, who bear the punishment\nof their sin. As the result of the martyrdom and avengement the rest of\nmen, give glory to God, a manifest attestation of the value of the\nchurch\u2019s witness. The world\u2019s persecution, though bitter and continued,\nfails to accomplish its end; the church of Christ survives, and rises\nagain in power, and its witness becomes effective. Historical\ninterpreters, however, generally regard the two witnesses as persons,\nfuturists identifying them as Moses (or Enoch) and Elijah, whom they\nregard as yet to come, and preterists finding in them two leading\ncharacters during the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, a view that restricts\nthe vision to very narrow limits. Others, catching the larger view,\ninterpret as \u201cThe Christian church and the Christian state\u201d, and still\nothers as \u201cThe law and the prophets\u201d, or \u201cThe prophets and the\npriesthood\u201d,\u2014i. e. the whole spiritual authority of the old dispensation\nwhich, \u201cthough perverted and destroyed by the Jews (some of the best\nrepresentatives of each being put to death), yet rose to new life and\nenthronement in Christianity\u201d. In any case the obvious teaching is the\ntriumph of faithful testimony for God, a principle of inestimable value\nfor the church when in the throes of persecution. And now, having looked\non the vision of the angel and the book, and of the two witnesses, the way\nis open for the sounding of the seventh trumpet.\n\nIt may be noted in closing our study of this episode that many\ncommentators interpret \u201cthe great city\u201d, in verse eight of this chapter,\nas referring to Jerusalem, because of the designation \u201cwhere also their\nLord was crucified\u201d\u2014Jerusalem being regarded as a world\u2010city. The decisive\nreason against this, however, is the uniform usage of the book,(449) for\nthe interpretation is not otherwise materially affected. Jerusalem is\neverywhere else in the Revelation the type of that which is holy, and is\nnowhere else called \u201cthe great city\u201d, while this name is applied seven\ntimes elsewhere to Babylon (or Rome), the type of the ungodly world, in\nwhich and by which our Lord may be truly said to have been crucified; and\nthere seems to be no adequate reason for regarding this passage as\ncontaining an exceptional use of the phrase. Whether, however, we\ninterpret of Jerusalem or of Babylon the general sense remains the same.\nIn the one case the apparent defeat and contempt for the church of God, or\nits witness and witnesses, occurs in Babylon, the type of the godless\nworld, while in the other it happens in Jerusalem, in that case the type\nof unbelieving Judaism. Either symbolism, it will be seen, is suitable to\nthe context.\n\n\n\nIV The Vision of Conflict (A Vision of Warfare). Ch. 12:1\u201014:20\n\n\nA discursive view of moral and spiritual conflict as the key to man\u2019s\nredemptive history, the prime thought which underlies the whole book, and\nwhich is portrayed in this central fourfold vision as a pervasive church\u2010\nhistoric world\u2010conflict of the evil against the just, now forms the\nessential climax of the Revelation, disclosing a divine panorama of the\nworld in process of redemption with the great opposing forces which\ncontend against Christ and his kingdom; a discriminating outlook upon the\nsignificant world\u2010movements of all time from the spiritual point of view,\nfor it is everywhere assumed that the forces which mould history are\nspiritual, and that the master key to life is found in the supernatural.\nAnd, whatever the form in which these movements became apparent to John in\nhis time, we may rest assured that the divinely inspired prophetic insight\nled him to perceive, at least in some measure, that in their essence they\nwere timeless and repeated themselves in every age. This central vision is\nin part the most difficult portion of the Revelation, containing seven\nmystic figures, viz. the Sun\u2010Clothed Woman, the Great Red Dragon, the All\u2010\nRuling Man\u2010Child, the First Beast (the Beast from the Sea), the Second\nBeast (the Beast from the Land), the Lamb on Mount Zion, and the Son of\nMan on the Cloud, each one of whom is invested with a special symbolism.\nThe difficulties of interpretation belonging to this part of the\nRevelation, it will be seen, are scarcely lessened in any degree by\nreferring different parts of the section to various Jewish apocalypses\nwhich are supposed to have contained the gist of the thought in this\nportion, according to the Apocalyptic\u2010Traditional view;(450) for, apart\nfrom the fact that no such apocalypses are now extant, these sections,\neven if they were originally derived from such a source, have an\napplication here that is distinctively new and specifically Christian. The\nvision itself is properly divisible into four parts or sections, as\nindicated in the arrangement that follows.\n\n\nA The Woman and the Dragon, Ch. 12:1\u20106, and 13\u201017\n\n\nThis is a vision of Satan persecuting the church and the Messiah, and of\nthe effective divine deliverance, which although permitting a continuance\nof the conflict yet provides help for overcoming and anticipates final\nvictory. The scene opens in heaven, but is afterward transferred to the\nearth\u2014see verse six.\n\n\n1 The Sun\u2010Clothed Woman, Ch. 12:1\u20102, 5\u20106, and 13f.\n\n\nA great sign is seen in heaven, a Woman glorious and crowned, arrayed with\nthe sun, the bearer of light, and having the moon under her feet, i. e.\ntriumphing over time and change, who evidently represents the church of\nGod on earth which was first Jewish and then Christian\u2014\u201cthe ideal\ncommunity of God\u2019s people\u201d. The moon was the Jewish divider of time, and\nthe phases of it being marked by recurrent changes, it naturally formed a\nready type of both these ideas; and it may here also include the thought\nof stability of existence in the midst of change of outward\nappearance.(451) The sun and moon have been thought by some to indicate\nthe relative light of the New and Old Dispensations, though it is more\nprobable that both have been introduced mainly to enhance the conception\nof the church\u2019s ideal glory. The crown of twelve stars is the sign of the\ncovenant people,\u2014the crown is \u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2, the crown of victory, which God\ndesigns to give the church, and the number, twelve, is the number of the\ntribes of Israel\u2014while the woman\u2019s travail anguish is the figure of Jewish\naffliction, and of deep longing for the Messiah. Some interpret the figure\nof the woman as representing the Virgin Mary;(452) but the symbol is\nclearly wider than a person, as is shown by the whole course of the\npersecution with its transference to the rest of her seed when the Man\u2010\nChild has escaped, and evidently applies to \u201cthe mystical mother of\nChrist\u201d, the church whose seed are many, though the source and\nappropriateness of the figure is doubtless found in the fact that Christ\nwas born of a woman.\n\n\n2 The Great Red Dragon, Ch. 12:3\u20104, and 13f.\n\n\nThe Dragon, a mythical animal of traditionary terror, the symbol to the\nJewish world of all that which was hideous and harmful, and described as\nred in color to indicate his sanguinary and destructive character, is\nintroduced in order to represent the Old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan (v.\n9),(453) the lord of the present world and the adversary of Christ. His\nseven heads with diadems, and the ten horns, are symbols of his full\ndominion and absolute power over evil in the world during the period of\nconflict. The head with a crown or diadem is the natural symbol of\ndominion, which in the Apocalyptic literature usually signifies kings or\nempires (cf. Dan. 2:32; and 7:6), and the horn is a recognized Jewish\nemblem of power. The crown is the \u03b4\u03b9\u03ac\u03b4\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1, the sign of royalty, not the\n\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2, or garland crown of victory\u2014a distinction that is carefully\nobserved in the Revelation, as is indicated in the Revised Versions by the\ntranslation \u201cdiadem\u201d.(454) This symbolism of the seven heads and ten horns\nwas evidently chosen to indicate the manifestation of Satan\u2019s power in the\nkings and kingdoms of this world which are adverse to the kingdom of God,\nas is clearly shown by their use in chapter thirteen,\u2014that through which\nSatan operates and makes his power felt being attributed to him as an\nessential part of his being. The use of seven and ten together implies a\ntwofold completeness, i. e. completeness of kind and completeness of parts\n(see App\u2019x. E). This combination of seven, the symbol of perfection of\nquality which is usually moral, with ten the symbol of completeness which\nis usually earthly, though without necessarily implying any moral element,\nis used with an evil significance throughout in the Revelation, and\ncreates some difficulty of interpretation; but it is doubtless best\nexplained as indicating that that which was originally designed for moral\nperfection, signified by seven, has been combined with and prostituted to\npurely earthly ends, as signified by ten, which ends are in this case\nnotably sinful. The suitability of the seven heads and ten horns belonging\nalike to the Dragon, who represents Satan, and to the Beast (ch. 13:1),\nwho represents anti\u2010Christian national government, is thus quite manifest,\nfor both are evil. If we compare this with the combination of seven with\nseven in the horns and eyes of the Lamb, where the idea of a twofold\nspiritual perfection is indicated, something of the peculiar combination\nand significance of numbers in the Revelation will become apparent. The\nDragon\u2019s casting down the third part of the stars from heaven (v. 4), i.\ne. a considerable number but not the larger part, is another sign of his\npower (Dan. 8:10), and may allude to the angels who lost their first\nestate and fell with him. He stands waiting in the vision before the\nWoman, the church, in order to destroy her child, the Messiah, as soon as\nthe child is born, a purpose that he does not prove able to carry out.\n\n\n3 The All\u2010Ruling Man\u2010Child, Ch. 12:5\n\n\nThe Man\u2010Child is Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, and whom Satan\nendeavors to destroy, but who was brought forth to rule or to shepherd all\nthe nations with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9), i. e. with irresistible power,\nand who was caught up to heaven by his resurrection and ascension. In this\nsymbolic action the sufferings and death of Christ are passed over in\nsilence in order to set forth at once the triumphant escape as the chief\nthought in mind, and the futility of the Dragon\u2019s effort.\n\n\n4 The Wilderness Refuge, Ch. 12:6a, and 14a\n\n\nThe wilderness represents the present evil world as the place of trial\nduring the period in which the church, like Israel, continues her\npilgrimage toward the promised fulness of the messianic kingdom. There may\nalso be a reference in this to the lands of the Gentiles, called a\nwilderness in contrast with Canaan the glorious land to the Jewish\npatriot, where the church \u201chath a place prepared of God\u201d, and is now\nnourished like Israel of old in the wilderness; or, by a change of figure,\nlike the prophet Elijah was fed for twelve hundred and sixty days, the\nequivalent of forty\u2010two months, or three and a half years,\u2014the time, [two]\ntimes, and half a time, i. e. three and a half times, of verse\nfourteen,\u2014the symbol of the indefinite period of the church\u2019s conflict\nwith the world, or of the world\u2010triumph, which is a shortened time, a term\nthat will end (see App\u2019x E). It may be mentioned here that the preterist\ninterpreters usually regard the wilderness refuge as a reference to the\nflight of the Christians to Pella before Jerusalem was destroyed, by which\nthey escaped the three and a half years of the siege(455)\u2014certainly a\nremarkable coincidence, though not serving to establish that\ninterpretation\u2014a meaning that is narrow and local instead of broad and\nuniversal.\n\n\n5 The Persecution of the Woman and her Seed, Ch. 12:4\u20106, and 13\u201017\n\n\nThe persecution of the Woman with her seed represents Satan\u2019s malign but\nfruitless attempts to destroy the church. The two wings of the great\neagle, i. e. the number of added strength and surety, are those of divine\npreservation which are given her to escape from the destroying flood cast\nout of the mouth of the Dragon, the apt symbol of Satan\u2019s persistent\neffort to overwhelm the church. To John\u2019s mind the eagle, which was\ninscribed upon the Roman standards, may have seemed the symbol of the\nRoman Empire that at first protected Christianity from Jewish\npersecution,(456) or the symbol may have been suggested by that fact; but\nit represents as well what God is ever doing through human and earthly\nmeans for the church\u2019s deliverance. By the exceptional statement that \u201cthe\nearth helped the woman\u201d, we are evidently to understand that natural\ncauses helped Christianity, a fruitful suggestion that is remarkably\nexemplified in history. The Dragon making war upon the rest of the Woman\u2019s\nseed, i. e. all of her seed except Jesus Christ, who was caught up to\nheaven, indicates his continued attack upon the church and its members.\n\n\nB War in Heaven, Ch. 12:7\u201012\n\n\nWe have in this incident a digression in the midst of the account of the\npersecution of the Woman in order to show the origin of Satan\u2019s hatred,\nand the beginning of the conflict in the far past.(457) Michael the\narchangel, regarded as the presiding angel of the Jews from the time of\nDaniel, together with the angels under him, warred with the Dragon and his\nangels; and Satan, being cast out of heaven, transferred the conflict to\nearth. A great voice is then heard in heaven declaring his downfall\ntogether with the triumph of the kingdom of God, and recounting the\nsuffering of the saints because of him (v. 10\u201012). This term which is here\nintroduced, \u201cthe kingdom of our God\u201d, though used but twice in the book of\nthe Revelation, is the most notable phrase in the New Testament. It occurs\nnearly a hundred times, either as \u201cthe kingdom of God\u201d, or \u201cthe kingdom of\nheaven\u201d, a term which signifies the rule of God in the earth, God becoming\nking among men. The kingdom of God, it should be seen, has a far broader\nmeaning and wider sweep than the church, for it serves to include all that\nGod is ever doing the ages through for the spiritual uplift and permanent\nbetterment of mankind. In the broadest sense this beneficent kingdom may\nbe defined as all that divinely directed movement and control in human\nlife and history which has for its object the ultimate accomplishment of\nthe mind and will of God in the hearts and lives of men\u2014for this glorious\nkingdom on the earthly side has its ultimate seat within the human heart\n(Lu. 17:21). Jesus by his luminous teaching lifted that name, \u201cthe kingdom\nof God\u201d, out of the older and narrower phases of its Jewish use, and gave\nit a broader and more beneficent meaning for all succeeding time. The\ncasting out of Satan, which is related in this section, is introduced as a\ncontributive event to the glorious coming of the kingdom. His defeat in\nheaven foreshadows his defeat on earth, and though he still has \u201cgreat\nwrath\u201d which he pours out upon men, yet \u2019he hath but a short time\u2019 (v.\n12), i. e. a time that is relatively short, until Christ shall reign in\npower. They who are our brethren overcame him, we are told (v. 11),\n\u201cbecause of the blood of the Lamb\u201d, therefore they are called upon to\nrejoice. In connection with this interpretation it should not be forgotten\nthat the time\u2010relation is, in this view, ignored in the vision, as\ncommonly throughout the book, for Apocalyptic often does not separate the\nnear and the far, and events widely separated in time are viewed as\ncontemporaneous in the timeless sequence of prophetic perspective. Thus\nthe incident before us without any intimation takes us back to the period\nanterior to creation, and then recurs as suddenly to the experience of\npersecution by faithful Christians.(458) In all Apocalyptic writings there\nis a manifest indifference to formal consistency that we do well to bear\nin mind.\n\nAccording to another view the account in this section is to be regarded as\ncontinuous with the last, verse seven following verse six in natural\norder, and the conflict described is to be placed after the resurrection\nof Christ, making the victory a shortening of Satan\u2019s power following upon\nChrist\u2019s redemptive work, and depriving him of such opportunity as he\nhitherto had in heaven of accusing the brethren, thereby limiting his\nsphere to this world. Notwithstanding the attractiveness of this view,\nhowever, and what may be said in its favor from several passages in the\nGospels (cf. Lk. 10:18; Jn. 12:31; 14:30b; and 16:11),(459) the former\ninterpretation is upon the whole to be preferred as agreeing best with the\ngeneral sense of the chapter.(460) Such a symbol of victory over Satan,\nwhatever the period to which the victory may be attributed, was not out of\naccord with ideas current at that time; for \u201cthis feature impossible in\nmodern conceptions of heaven, shows itself from time to time in pre\u2010\nChristian and also early Christian conceptions, viz. the belief in the\npresence of evil, or the possibility of its appearance, in the heavens\u201d\n[i. e. in the lower heavens].(461) In any case this section places in\nclear perspective the great truth that leadership in the antagonism of\nevil with righteousness belongs to and takes its rise from the\nsupernatural world, and what we constantly see here has its source and\noccasion there, in the deeper spiritual vision of prophecy.\n\nIn the interpretation of this section a manifest parallelism has been\npointed out between the conflict of Marduk with Ti\u00e2mat in Babylonian\nmythology, and the war between Michael and the Dragon in the\nApocalypse.(462) Others pursuing this idea still further, though without\nsufficient ground for their conclusion, have attributed to Babylonian\norigin a body of Jewish apocalyptic traditions which they assume to have\nbeen one of the sources of the Revelation and to have furnished the\nincident of this section.(463) In correction of this position it should be\nseen that even when we recognize to the fullest extent the necessary\ninfluence of contact with Babylon, both early and late, upon Jewish\nthought, and the introduction of ideas from that source as natural and\ninevitable, it does not follow that there was any such use made of\nBabylonian mythology in the later Jewish writings as this would imply, for\nthe Jew was exceedingly wary of any religious ideas that did not spring\nfrom his own ancestral heritage. It is indeed quite probable that\nparticular concepts, or thought\u2010elements, like that of the Dragon and of\nthe two Beasts in this vision, are of Babylonian origin; but \u201cthe\nhypothesis of a Jewish messianic use of an entire heathen sun\u2010myth, and\nthen the Christian adaptation of the Jewish form\u201d,(464) is in itself\nhighly improbable at so late a period in Jewish development, and can\nscarcely be accepted by those who maintain the inspiration of the\nApocalypse in any essential sense. It is much more likely that the author,\nif using such material at all, incorporated the thought rather than the\nform of such floating Babylonian fragments as belonged to his time, in\naccordance with his usual method of employing the Hebrew literature,\nthough this is wholly a matter of hypothesis.(465)\n\n\nC The Two Beasts, Ch. 13:1\u201018\n\n\nThe vision now sets forth two of the principal forms of the world\u2019s\nopposition to Christ and his kingdom, which are represented as Beasts,\nmonsters that are terrible and revolting in appearance, that are placed in\nnotable contrast with the Lamb, and that are inspired by Satan who stands\nwatching in his dragon form on the sands of the sea\u2014for according to the\ncorrected reading of the Revised Version, it is the Dragon and not the\nApocalyptist that stands upon the seashore.(466) This vision affords an\ninteresting example of John\u2019s use of already existing material, for the\nidea of two wild beasts opposing the Messiah is found elsewhere in\napocalyptic writings, although not in exactly the same form,(467) and is\nhere made the basis of an illustration of undoubted power. The Beasts in\nthe Apocalypse are the natural and fitting embodiment of brute force\noperating to control men in the sphere of religion. Some would prefer the\ntranslation of \u03b8\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03bd as a \u201cmonster\u201d rather than a \u201cbeast\u201d,(468) and\nperhaps, it is technically more accurate, but the long use of the term\n\u201cbeast\u201d in this connection has made it familiar to our minds and also\nintelligible, for it is a beast in the bad sense that is intended, and to\nthe average reader this term undoubtedly conveys the proper meaning.\n\n\n1 The First Beast\u2014the Beast from the Sea, Ch. 13:1\u201010\n\n\nA wild Beast fierce and bloodthirsty, and ideal composite creature, \u201clike\nunto a leopard and his feet were as _the feet_ of a bear, and his mouth as\nthe mouth of a lion\u201d (v. 2), evidently formed from the beasts in Daniel\u2019s\nvision (ch. 7:3f.), is seen coming up out of the tempestuous sea of the\nnations, and is manifestly the same as the Scarlet Beast of chapter\nseventeen, the one constantly referred to as \u201cthe Beast\u201d without any other\nqualification. This is the symbol of the universal world\u2010power, i. e. all\nthe world\u2010kingdoms are considered as one and personified in this Beast in\nopen hostility to the church;(469) national opposition to Christianity,\nexemplified by heathen Rome in John\u2019s day which supplied the groundwork of\nthe conception, but extending far beyond that and applying equally to all\npersecuting nations during the whole forty\u2010two months, or three and a half\nyears, of world\u2010domination, which represents the duration of the church\u2010\nhistoric period of trial (v. 5), a period that is broken and incomplete\n(see App\u2019x E). The Beast is described as having ten horns and seven heads,\nthe symbol of a twofold completeness, both that of parts (ten) and that of\nquality or kind (seven), the same number as the Dragon, though in inverse\norder, indicating that the Beast is the agent of the Dragon, i. e. of\nSatan, and is possessed of like dominion and power,\u2014for \u201cthe Dragon gave\nhim his power, and his throne, and great authority\u201d. The heads seem to\nsymbolize the world\u2010power taking form, and the horns the exercise of that\npower. (For the further development of this symbolism, see ch. 17:9f.) And\nit should be noted that the ten horns and seven heads are common not only\nto the Dragon and the Beast, but are also the sum total of those belonging\nto the four beasts in Daniel\u2019s vision, i. e. to all the world\u2010powers there\ndesigned, a symbolism which suggests that it properly applies to more than\none nation, and which here seems intended to portray the persistent\nopposition of the Devil to the church of God, working through the power of\nthe world in all time and in all nations. The ten crowns or diadems upon\nhis horns denote the fulness of his sovereignty, and imply the extent of\nhis earthly rule; the names of blasphemy upon his heads seem to refer to\nthe divine titles and honors assumed by earthly kings, especially those of\nRome, as Domitian who ordered that in official documents he should be\nstyled \u201cOur Lord and God\u201d\u2014a figure that is perhaps suggested here by the\nmitre of the high priest on which was written \u201cHoliness to the Lord\u201d, to\nwhich this was antipodal;(470) while the wounded head that is healed\nrefers to the death stroke, given to the world\u2010power by the life, death,\nand resurrection of Jesus Christ, from which there has been seeming\nrecovery,(471) for this was a true deathblow to the world\u2010power, even\nthough it failed of immediate realization and thereby disappointed Jewish\u2010\nChristian hopes of early victory. The Beast blasphemes against God, \u201chis\nname, and his tabernacle, even them that dwell in the heavens\u201d, i. e. the\ninhabitants of the tabernacle. \u201cAnd it was given unto him to make war with\nthe saints and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over\nevery tribe and people and tongue and nation\u201d; but it is only as it is\n\u201cgiven unto him\u201d that he can exercise his power, i. e. he is subject to\ndivine control. And every one, \u201cwhose name hath not been written from the\nfoundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been\nslain\u201d, shall worship him. Thus is depicted not only the fierce antagonism\nof the Roman Empire to the church in that age, but the perpetual hostility\nand unceasing opposition of the universal world\u2010power in all ages and\nnations to the growth of the kingdom of God among men.\n\nThe symbol of the Beast, notwithstanding the difficulty of its\ninterpretation, has certain distinguishing features that help to interpret\nits meaning. The close resemblance to Daniel\u2019s vision gives a clue to the\nthought in mind, and serves to indicate the proper method of\ninterpretation. That the world\u2010power in some form is symbolized in the\nvision, is clearly indicated; on this point all interpreters are agreed,\nthough the majority of modern interpreters regard the Beast as the Roman\nEmpire. That John had Rome primarily in mind can scarcely be doubted; but,\nin the view accepted by the symbolic interpreters, the Roman Empire served\nonly to supply the groundwork for an idealized conception, in which the\nordinary and limited view of sense has become transformed under the\ninfluence of prophetic insight into the wider vision of a world\u2010power\nbelonging to all time and pervading all history that rises beastlike in\nstrength and might to oppress the people of God. The Beast, according to\nthis interpretation, is the persecuting world\u2010power in any and every age\nantagonizing the kingdom of God; the national and political forces of the\nworld in their organized form arraying themselves against our Lord and his\nChrist; that phase of the world\u2019s life which finds expression for its\nopposition to the children of the kingdom under the forms of law and\ngovernment, the most sovereign and irresistible of all kinds of\npersecution. This symbol naturally found a ready and satisfactory\ninterpretation by the early church in the prevailing surveillance of the\nRoman authority; but it is an interpretation none the less true of heathen\nnations everywhere and always, who constantly persecute the church of God.\nThe interpretation thus given is the one accepted by the symbolist school\nas the most natural and satisfactory of all, having a world\u2010wide\napplication and universal content; and it may be confidently adopted with\nan adequate degree of assurance that it conveys the meaning intended. The\npreterist interpreters, on the other hand, limit the meaning of the First\nBeast to the Roman Empire, using its power to oppose and oppress\nChristianity, and construe the wounded head as a reference to the death of\nNero (see notes on chapter seventeen).\n\n\n(1) An Admonition to Patience, Ch. 13:9\u201010\n\n\nJohn adds a word of warning concerning the need of patience and\nperseverance for the saints. If any one is ordained to captivity, into\ncaptivity let him go as the lot appointed him; resist not, for he that\ntaketh the sword shall perish by the sword; this is the test of \u201cthe\npatience and the faith of the saints\u201d. When we compare this message\ncontained in the tenth verse, which is an exhortation to patience under\npersecution, with that in the eighteenth verse of this same chapter, where\nthe exhortation is to wisdom against deception, we get a glimpse of the\ndifferent kind of danger that is to be apprehended from each of the two\nbeasts, the first persecuting men, the second deceiving them.\n\n\n2 The Second Beast,\u2014the Beast from the Land, Ch. 13:11\u201018.\n\n\nAnother wild Beast, also an ideal and composite creature, like unto yet\ndifferent from the first, is seen coming up out of the earth,(472) i. e.\nout of established and well\u2010ordered society; the Two\u2010horned Beast in whom\nthe exercise of personal power or force is less prominent than in the\nFirst Beast with ten horns to whom he is subordinate, for the power he\nexerciseth is \u201call the power of the First Beast\u201d. This Beast is the symbol\nof the universal world\u2010religion, i. e. all the world\u2010religions are\nconsidered as one and personified in the Second Beast, in disguised\nhostility to the church of Christ;(473) the False Prophet of chs. 16:13\nand 19:20, assuming to be what he is not, and using his authority for evil\nends, who \u201cdeceiveth them that dwell on the earth\u201d.(474) His two horns\nlike a lamb, but voice like a dragon, indicate that he has the external\ncharacteristics of a lamb, but the inner nature of a dragon, and are\nevidently intended to signify that he appears to be like Christ, while he\nis like Satan; he represents the forms of religion that assume to save\nmen, but in fact only bind them to evil. \u201cHe doeth great signs that he\nshould even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the\nsight of men\u201d, i. e. not a literal bringing down of fire, but a power\ncounterfeiting the power of God as shown of old in fire from heaven, a\ngreat sign to Israel (Num. 16:35; I K. 18:38), and sembling that of the\ntwo witnesses (ch. 11:5). And he required of \u201cthem that dwell on the\nearth, that they should make an image to the Beast who hath the stroke of\nthe sword and lived\u201d, i. e. the false religions of the world, which the\nSecond Beast represents, operate to make the people subservient to the\nworld\u2010power, the First Beast which had the stroke of the sword and lived,\nwith which these religions always stand connected whether in Rome or in\nother nations;(475) and the people render worship as they are directed.\n\u201cAnd it was given _unto him_ to give breath to the image of the Beast that\nit should speak and cause as many as should not worship the image to be\nkilled\u201d, i. e. the heathen religions give life and authority to national\nworship, give vitality to the world\u2010power that it should command and\ncompel men to join in its idolatrous forms or lose their lives by refusal.\nThus the whole figure seems to indicate the spirit of the world operating\nagainst the church through the forms of religion, especially as seizing\nupon the natural and ethnic religions, permeating them with deceit, and\nsubverting them to worldly ends (v. 14), the element of religion being a\nprominent feature throughout. Actuated by worldly wisdom, which is\n\u201cearthly, sensual, and devilish\u201d (Jas. 3:15), this Beast, we are told,\nbids all men worship the image of the First (v. 12 and 14), i. e. worship\nthe deification of the world\u2010power, thereby insidiously rehabilitating the\nworld\u2010power in another form, a figure likely drawn from the worship of the\nEmperor\u2019s image, a cult prevailing at the time, and showing how false\nreligions rest upon and are upheld by heathen governments. John doubtless\nhad primarily in mind the heathen priesthood of that period, especially\nthe priesthood of Caesar\u2010worship, which afforded the best example of the\nthen existing world\u2010religions, but this only formed the groundwork of the\nlarger thought of the vision. Preterist interpreters, as a rule, would\nlimit the meaning of the Second Beast to the heathen priesthood of that\ntime, but this is too restricted a view. Any religion anywhere rejecting\nthe Christ and crowning the world\u2010power is represented by the Second\nBeast. It has also been suggested that the Second Beast represents the\nAsiarch, or chief priest of Asia, the director and instigator of Emperor\u2010\nworship.(476) This may possibly have been the source of John\u2019s idea; but\nhowever formed we should regard it as a universal and poetic conception of\none continuous phase of the world\u2019s opposition to Christ and his kingdom,\nand not limit it to any particular historic manifestation of that\nopposition. Others, without sufficient grounds, have referred the title to\nthe papacy, interpreting the First and Second Beasts as Rome pagan and\npapal. Another interpretation is that the First Beast is the secular\npersecuting power, pagan or Christian, and the Second Beast is the\nsacerdotal persecuting power, pagan and Christian; while still another and\nbetter interpretation is that world\u2010force is the first, and world\u2010worship,\ni. e. world\u2010religion and superstition, the second.(477) Symbolist\ninterpreters always prefer the wider to a narrower symbolism in accordance\nwith their general view of the book. According to this view, which is the\none accepted in the present volume, all the world\u2010religions which profess\nto be holy but are controlled by the same spirit, belong to the Second\nBeast and contribute to his power. The aspect of heathenism which here\npresented itself to John\u2019s mind is the most general and obvious of all its\nmany characteristics; and although we now recognize more fully the\nelements of truth in the ethnic religions, and their relative value in the\nmoral education of mankind when without the gospel, yet John\u2019s view still\nholds good, and is confirmed by the world\u2010wide testimony of the mission\nfield. The world\u2010spirit which lies at the door of the world\u2010religions is\nand always has been evil, and will always be degrading to the soul, that\nspirit which subordinates the moral and spiritual to purely selfish and\nworldly ends. The forms of the Two\u2010horned Beast today are just as\ndeceiving and defiling to men, and as much opposed to the kingdom of God,\nas they ever were of old. And not only are all the world\u2010religions the\nabiding manifestation of the Second Beast, but even the Christian church\nalso, whether Catholic or Protestant, may become subservient thereto,\nwhenever or wherever it, or any part of it, may be dominated by the spirit\nof the world\u2010religions, and thereby yields its God\u2010given prestige to this\nBeast. The forms of human learning, too, as philosophy, science,\nliterature, and art, when they trench upon the sphere of religion and\nbecome atheistic, agnostic, materialistic, or God\u2010defying, exhibit the\nspirit of the world\u2010religions in opposition to Christ, and are\nmanifestations of the same Beast. This power is world\u2010wide and age\u2010long,\nand the vision seems to look through and beyond the forces then at work to\ntheir wider manifestation in history. For the Second Beast is the\nincarnation of the permanent and universal world\u2010religion in each and all\nof its forms, and while presenting one aspect of the world\u2010religions of\nJohn\u2019s time, yet goes far beyond that and portrays the principle of\nopposition to the church of Christ which underlies them all, and which\nwould develop new forms in the period when Christianity had nominally\ntriumphed, continuing the conflict upon different lines from the violent\npersecutions of the earlier ages; a period when the world\u2019s opposition to\nGod would be expressed \u201cby affiliation with the religion of Jesus, and by\npenetrating its life with false ideals\u201d, producing a faithlessness within\nthe church even more deadly in its results than the fatal furor of\npersecution, for the world within the church is one of the forms of the\nSecond Beast, and there is nothing so dangerous to the life of the soul as\nirreligious religion.(478)\n\n\n(1.) An Admonition to Wisdom, Ch. 13:18\n\n\n\u201cHere is wisdom\u201d, John says: \u201cHe that hath understanding, let him count\nthe number of the Beast; for it is the number of a man\u201d,\u2014or rather, \u201cthe\nnumber of man\u201d, for there is no article in the Greek, implying that the\nreference is not to any particular man\u2014(479) i. e. it is a human number.\nThe mark of the Beast, like that of an ancient devotee to his idol, is put\nupon both the hand and brain (v. 16)(480) of all the people who accept his\nauthority, without any distinction of rank, rich and poor, bond and free,\nsmall and great, all alike, showing that their powers are uniformly\ndevoted to the service of this world. John exhorts the church to wisdom in\ndiscerning this Beast, indicating the subtleness of his hidden power. The\nnumber of his name, i. e. designation, is six hundred and sixty\u2010six (some\nmanuscripts read six hundred and sixteen, but this is almost certainly an\nerror of transcription), the symbol of a threefold, composite power of\nevil which includes the Dragon, the First Beast, and the Second, and which\nculminates in the last, viz:\u2014600, a hundredfold of six, a numerical\ndesignation of the Dragon, plus 60, tenfold of six, a similar designation\nof the First Beast, plus 6, onefold of six, a like designation of the\nSecond Beast, if considered alone, which together, equal 666, the\nnumerical designation of the full power which the Second Beast represents.\nThe key to the mystical designation 666, according to this\ninterpretation,(481) is found in the number six, the number of evil, one\nshort of seven or perfection, Satan\u2019s number, whether multiplied by ten or\nnot, here thrice repeated, _six_, _six_, _six_, each repetition\nmultiplying the previous number tenfold, or six a hundredfold added to six\ntenfold added to six a single fold, producing a triple symbol of the full\npower of evil. In this symbolism we seem to have the thought of a trinity\nof evil striving in antagonism to the divine trinity; and though we cannot\nbe sure that John had this in mind, yet it seems quite in accord with the\napocalyptic method of depicting truth. If the reading 616 is preferred,\nthe First Beast is then designated by 10, the symbol of earthly\ncompleteness, instead of 60 as above, a much less likely symbolism, but\nnot affecting the general meaning.\n\nThe mark of the Beast is one of the most disputed points in the whole\nbook, and some commentators, while suggesting a probable interpretation,\nprefer to leave the meaning unsolved. Certainly all interpretations\nfinding in the number a cryptic name, such as _Neron Caesar_, or\n_Lateinos_, notwithstanding their wide acceptance by modern interpreters,\nshould be discarded as fanciful.(482) The number was evidently intended as\na designation rather than a name; it is a symbol like every other number\nin the Revelation, and any attempt to solve it by reference to the Jewish\n_gematria_, or numerical indication of names, is foreign to the method of\nthe book, and only involves it in greater obscurity, as the different\nanswers obtained in that way will show.(483) While that interpretation has\nbeen the generally accepted view with preterists, a revolt against its\narbitrariness is manifest in late writers, and cannot but be felt by the\nattentive student.(484) That six hundred and sixty\u2010six is a triple symbol\nof the full power of evil, has found acceptance with a multitude of\nreaders, and is the most satisfactory interpretation to those who hold the\nsymbolic view.\n\nIn conclusion it should be said that the identification of this Beast, or\nof the former one, with the Antichrist of John\u2019s Epistles is of more than\ndoubtful value in arriving at the meaning intended; for the Apocalyptist\nstudiously avoided the use of that term though quite familiar with it (I\nJn. 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; and II Jn. 1:7), and we surely cannot do better than\nto follow his example. Indeed the entire interpretation of the Apocalypse\nwill be permanently advanced when all direct reference to a _personal_\nAnti\u2010christ is finally eliminated as foreign to the purpose, if not the\nthought of the book. In the broad sense of the term the Anti\u2010christ is the\nAgainst\u2010Christ in any and every form. John tells us (I Jn. 2:18) there are\n\u201cMany antichrists\u201d (\u1f00\u03bd\u03c4\u03af\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u1f76), a term peculiar to John in the\nNew Testament; our Lord said (Mat. 24:24) \u201cThere shall arise false\nchrists\u201d (\u03c8\u03b5\u03c5\u03b4\u03cc\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9), a different term in the Greek, and evidently\nreferring to more than one; and it may well be doubted whether the\nprediction is anywhere intended to refer to a single person. The term may\nbe understood in a general way to include the Two Beasts, the Harlot, and\nall other forms of anti\u2010christianity, but no more definite identification\ncan with any probability be made.\n\n\nD. The Lamb on Mount Zion, Ch. 14:1\u201020\n\n\nThe closing part of this fourfold vision, revealing the final outcome of\nthe preceding conflict in the glorious triumph of the Lamb and his\nfollowers, is now given for the comfort of the church, and to relieve the\nsombre shadows of the earlier parts of the vision by a foregleam of\nvictory.\n\n\n1. The Redeemed with the Lamb, Ch. 14:1\u20105\n\n\nWe see here a vast and virgin multitude, a hundred and forty\u2010four\nthousand, a large and perfect number, the former symbol of the complete\nfirst\u2010fruits from Israel (ch. 7:4), now used by synecdoche to represent\nall the redeemed who have been chosen from among men, the best of their\nrace, who are called \u201cthe first\u2010fruits unto God and unto the Lamb\u201d,(485)\nand who stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion, in the city of the living\nGod, the heavenly Jerusalem, having his name and the name of his Father\nwritten upon their foreheads, signifying to whom they belong and marking\nthem as antipodal to those who have received the mark of the Beast (ch.\n13:16), and who sing a new song, the song of victory (the Incommunicable\nChorus), known only to the redeemed. Of this blessed company it is said\nthat \u201cthey are without blemish\u201d, i. e. they are sinless before God, which\nis apparently an explanation of the symbolism used in saying that they are\n\u201cvirgins\u201d, and \u201cnot defiled with women\u201d,\u2014or \u201camong women\u201d. Roman Catholic\ncommentators, however, usually interpret literally, and apply the passage\nto those women who have never entered into wedlock for the kingdom of\nheaven\u2019s sake\u2014a construction that it scarcely seems to bear.(486)\nFuturists generally maintain that the vision refers to the earthly Zion,\nand connect the incident with the second advent, making the hundred and\nforty\u2010four thousand to consist of Jews alone.\n\n\n2. The Three Angel Messages, Ch. 14:6\u201011\n\n\nThese are distinct notes of divine warning, prelusive of the End, which\nare given by the mouth of three different angels, showing their separate\nand individual importance; they are three in number, the symbol of the\nspiritual, indicating the nature of their contents; and they are\nintroduced as preparatory to the scenes of anticipated judgment in verses\nfourteen to twenty, and are premonitory of the End. The End is an ever\u2010\nrecurrent note that always finds place in the deeper strains of\nApocalyptic literature. The End that victory may come, was the natural cry\nof a spirit that despaired of the present world, and believed that God\ncould only be vindicated by the consummation of all things. This was a\nfundamental weakness of the Apocalyptic point of view, which found the\nproper design of the world in its speedy ending and not in its longer\ncontinuance, a mistake that unfortunately has been perpetuated in\nChristian thought as though it were fundamental to it, whereas the victory\nand the End may well be as far apart as the creation from the victory. The\nApocalypse sounds the note of the End without hesitancy or discussion. The\ndifficulties that embarrass us did not enter into the thought of that\ntime.\n\n\n(1) The Message of the Eternal Gospel, Ch. 14:6\u20107\n\n\n\u201cAnother angel\u201d and the first of the three which follow, flying in mid\u2010\nheaven proclaims the (or _an_) eternal gospel to every nation and tribe\nand tongue and people before the time of judgment, the symbol of the\nfulfilment of the words of our Lord: \u201cThis gospel of the kingdom shall be\npreached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then\nshall the end come\u201d (Mat. 24:14). The angel exhorts men to \u201cfear God and\ngive him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come\u201d, i. e. is now at\nhand.\n\n\n(2) The Message of Babylon\u2019s Fall, Ch. 14:8\n\n\nA second angel proclaims the fall of Babylon, the city of the world, the\ndwelling\u2010place and symbol of the world of sinful men, and the antithesis\nof Jerusalem, which is the city of God, the dwelling\u2010place and symbol of\nthe holy. The destruction of Babylon is a necessary prelude to the End,\nfor the sinful worldly life which finds its fitting type in this great\ncity must be broken down before Christ can triumph.\n\n\n(3) The Message of Doom for the Beast and his Followers, Ch. 14:9\u201011\n\n\nThe third angel proclaims the doom of divine wrath upon the worshippers of\nthe Beast and his image, i. e. upon those who glorify the blasphemous\nworld\u2010power, or share in the deceit of the world\u2010religion; and the terms\nof the message are full of terror and foreboding. Thus in a concise and\ntriple message is foreshadowed the universal proclamation of the gospel,\nthe overthrow of the world\u2019s social and communal life adverse to God, and\nthe final destruction of those forces in national and religious thought\nthat withstand the full and final triumph of the Christ.\n\n\n3. The Blessedness of the Holy Dead, Ch. 14:12\u201013\n\n\nThe author at this point expresses his sympathy with the church, setting\nforth the need of patience in the conflict (v. 12); and then he records a\nvoice heard from heaven (v. 13), declaring that the dead who die in the\nLord are blessed \u201chenceforth\u201d, i. e. after death, for they have both rest\nand reward,(487) and possibly including, also, the additional thought that\nthey have thereby escaped from the great tribulation even though by\nmartyrdom. Thus once more the redeemed are placed in opposition to the\nunredeemed, the saved are set over against the lost, as those who have\nsecured the better part.\n\n\n4. The Harvest of the Elect, Ch. 14:14\u201016\n\n\nOne like unto the Son of Man (or _a_ son of man), i. e. one sharing our\nhumanity\u2014a designation of the Messiah after the time of Daniel(488)\u2014is\nseen sitting upon a white cloud, the traditional covering of the divine\nmajesty and a symbol of the divine presence, having on his head a golden\ncrown, the token of glory and of victory, and in his hand a sharp sickle,\nthe instrument for reaping. And on the announcement of another angel(489)\nfrom out the temple that the hour was come, he cast his sickle upon the\nearth and gathered all the faithful into his kingdom as a harvest that was\nripe, a symbol of the ingathering of all the redeemed preceding the\npunishment of the wicked (cf. Mat. 25:31\u201046). The action set forth in this\npart of the vision is preparatory to and anticipates the judgment, yet the\nprocess of judgment is not described. The vision is occupied rather with\npointing out how the path of history inevitably leads to the judgment bar.\nThe incident serves to introduce the seventh and last of the mystic\nfigures of this wonderful vision of conflict, the Son of Man on the Cloud,\nwho represents Christ as the theanthropic Redeemer and Judge, a quite\ndifferent aspect of his character from the Man\u2010Child where he is set forth\nsubject to the conditions of his mysterious incarnation, and therefore\nrequiring an entirely different symbol.\n\n\n5. The Vintage of Wrath, Ch. 14:17\u201020\n\n\nStill another angel came out from the shrine or sanctuary of the temple in\nheaven, at the summons of the angel who had power over fire, i. e. the\nfire of the altar, which is here the symbol of judgment, and gathered all\nthe ungodly as vintage from the earth, and cast them into the winepress,\nthe great winepress, of the wrath of God, a figure of the ingathering and\nfearful punishment of the wicked at the end of the world. According to\nthis view the two gatherings described in verses fourteen to twenty, are\nregarded as depicting the opposite fate in store for the faithful and the\nwicked, instead of a twofold account of the same event repeated in\ndifferent form for the purpose of emphasis. This interpretation agrees\nbest with the general tenor of the chapter and the common method of\ncontrast throughout the book; others, however, regard the passage as a\ndouble figure of the judgment.(490) The scene is laid outside the city, i.\ne. Jerusalem, most likely the New Jerusalem, the home of God\u2019s people,\nwithout the gates of which are the wicked who perish (ch. 22:15). The\nfigure may have been drawn from the scenes of terror and bloodshed which\nattended the fall of the earthly city under Titus, a view quite possible\nif the later date of authorship be accepted, though possibly there may\nhave been no definite city in mind. Some connect this passage with the\nstruggle in chapter twenty (v. 7\u201010), where the nations compass the\nbeloved city, and connect both with the advent, interpreting literally,\u2014a\nview common with the futurists. And we are told that when the winepress\nwas trodden \u201cthere came out blood, from the winepress, even unto the\nbridles of the horses,\u201d(491) a symbol of the terrible destruction of life\nthat ensued, a flowing stream that reached as far as a thousand and six\nhundred furlongs, i. e. almost two hundred Roman miles, or somewhat\nfarther than the entire length of Palestine, a Jewish synonym for a great\ndistance. Sixteen hundred is also the square of four, the earth number,\nmultiplied by the square of ten, the number of completeness, which perhaps\nindicates that the punishment is complete throughout the whole created\nworld. The passage in its essential thought is an echo from the rhapsody\nof Joel (ch. 3:13), combined with the vision of judgment in Isaiah\u2019s Zion\nredeemed (ch. 63:3\u20106), and recalls his Assyrian flood, reaching even to\nthe neck (Isa. 8:7\u20108).(492) The transition to the vision of vials is now\nmade by a sudden change of theme, and a return to the world\u2010process of\njudgment that is age\u2010long and world\u2010wide in its scope and purpose.\n\n\n\nV. The Vision of the Seven Vials [or Bowls] (A Vision of Judgment). Ch.\n15:1\u201016:12, and 16:17\u201021\n\n\nThe vision of the seven vials is a revelation of God\u2019s last plagues upon\nthe ungodly, a final view of the divine providential purpose concerning\nthe wicked, another group of seven that are set forth in a form similar to\nthe judgments under the trumpets, but of increased severity, and that are\npromptly executed. They are called \u201canother sign\u201d, and may be regarded as\nanother line of judgments of similar character to the trumpets, or as the\ncomplete fulfilment of the contents of the trumpet\u2010judgments presented in\nanother way, which are given for increased emphasis under figures that are\nanalogous, and that indicate their inner connection; and, so far as the\nvials have any time\u2010relation, they may be regarded as belonging to the\nsame general period as the trumpets, i. e. the time of man\u2019s existence on\nthe earth, especially the period of conflict, though shown by their\nprogressive and destructive character to culminate in the closing period\nof human history. The vials are marked by an intensity of form and\nrapidity of movement, especially as they approach the end, and they are\nnot limited like the trumpets to a part of men, but affect all the evil.\nThey are vivid symbolic presentations of deep and terrible punishments,\nand are called \u2019the last plagues\u2019 because in them is fulfilled or\ncompleted the wrath of God upon the earth\u2014a new and final view of the\ndivine purpose concerning the wicked which may be looked at quite apart\nfrom any previous view.\n\nSome preterists, who find in the seals a prophetic description of the\ntrials of the church in the first age, regard the trumpets as a typical\npresentation of the fall of Jerusalem, and the vials as a portrayal of the\nfall of Rome.(493) This opinion, it is affirmed, accords best with the\ngeneral method of the Apocalyptic writings, which have for the most part a\ndefinite and local interpretation, and avoids the difficulty of an\napparent repetition of similar judgments upon the same objects under the\ntrumpets and the vials. But, upon the other hand, the prophetic outlook of\nJohn appears to the majority of devout minds to have a far wider sweep\nthan that of other Apocalyptic writers outside the Scriptures, and to\nembrace a world\u2010view that is universal, and that is not at all met by\nthese limited historical fulfilments. Still, even if the former view were\ncorrect in its main assumption, \u201cthat does not preclude us,\u201d as has been\nwell said,(494) \u201cfrom interpreting the inspired words as referring not\nonly to events near John\u2019s time, but also to other events of which they\nwere the foretaste and figures. To us the meaning [in that case] is that\nthe type of the end has been foretold and has come, but that the end\nitself which has been equally foretold [the full end] must be watched for\nin all seriousness.\u201d If we have a correct view of prophecy we can readily\nassent to these words of wisdom which cannot be too strongly emphasized.\n\nIt should be noted in passing that the revelation of these world\u2010judgments\nin the visions of the seals, the trumpets, and the vials, notwithstanding\ntheir separate character, may be seen to follow a certain line of\ndevelopment, showing an inner connection; and also, that the divine\npurpose of judgment may be considered as being in a general way partially\ndisclosed under the seals,\u2014for judgment is one phase of the seals though a\nsubordinate one\u2014as being publicly proclaimed by the trumpets, and as being\nfully executed in the pouring out of the vials, each series presenting a\ndifferent view, complete in itself, of God\u2019s punitive inflictions for sin\nthroughout the whole history of mankind. They are seen, also, to reflect\nGod\u2019s long\u2010suffering patience with the sinner, first making known his\nwrath in an order of providences which affect his people as well as those\nof the world; then in threatening and manifesting his purpose to punish\nevil by an order of events which affect only a part of mankind, i. e. the\nsinful because they are sinful, and that afford abundant opportunity for\nrepentance; and, finally, by the swift execution of a divinely just though\nterrible punishment upon all the obdurately wicked that refuse to repent.\nThis last is the great, impressive, and awe\u2010inspiring thought of the\nvision of the vials.\n\n\nA. The Preparation for the Vials, Ch. 15:1\u20108\n\n\nThe preparation for the vials, which is now entered upon, is a connecting\nlink with the former vision, and a prelude to the plagues that follow. It\nis introduced by an inspiring view of the saints who have come victorious\nout of the conflict depicted in that vision, and is intended for the\ncomfort of God\u2019s people in the midst of trials to which they cannot be\nindifferent, and which in affecting the world of nature and of men must in\nsome degree also affect the righteous as well, though delivered from their\ndestroying power. The comfort afforded in trial by the promise of\ndeliverance, an element which has no small share in the purpose of the\nApocalypse, is clearly brought out in this introductory passage before the\nvials have begun to be poured out, and is not interjected between them, as\nin the episodes that occur in the seals and trumpets\u2014the episode in the\nvision of the vials being a warning of danger. The vision, too, is\nfollowed immediately by the comforting vision of victory beginning in the\nseventeenth chapter.\n\n\n1. The Angels with the Plagues, Ch. 15:1\u20102a\n\n\nSeven angels appear, to whom is entrusted the execution of the seven\nplagues, which are called \u201cthe last\u201d because they lead to the end of the\nworld and to the bar of judgment;(495) and the sea of glass, formerly\ndescribed as \u201clike unto crystal\u201d, now becomes \u201cmingled with fire\u201d, the\nsign of the flushing of victory through anticipated judgment felt by all\nthose who share in that great boundless life which exists before the\nthrone, and whose experience is symbolized by the sea with its wide\nrelation to the people of God in the past (cf. notes on ch. 4:6).(496)\n\n\n2. The Victors by the Sea, Ch. 15:2b\n\n\nThe victors over the Beast and his image stand by rather than _upon_ the\nsea,(497) indicating their close relation to it, having harps of God\nprepared for tuneful melody. The figure seems to be drawn from the triumph\nof Israel at the Red Sea, though the significance of the sea cannot be\nquite the same, for in the old sense \u2019the sea is no more\u2019 (ch. 21:1); it\nhas here become the symbol of the calm and fulness of life and joy in the\npresence of God.\n\n\n3. The Song of the Redeemed, Ch. 15:3\u20104\n\n\nThe united song of all the redeemed before God, (the Adoration Chorus of\nMoses and the Lamb) who belong alike to the Old Dispensation and the New,\nto Moses and to Christ, represents the essential unity of faith and life\nunder both parts of God\u2019s redemptive plan which is now about to be\ncompleted. It is an outburst of praise and adoration addressed to the Lord\nGod, the Almighty, the King of the Ages, whose wondrous works and\nrighteous judgments have been and are about to be made manifest before all\nnations. The song is the counterpart of the song of deliverance by the\nshore of the Red Sea, but it has a new and deeper fulness that is\nconsonant with its theme.\n\n\n4. The Judgment Made Ready, Ch. 15:5\u20108\n\n\nThe temple, the \u03bd\u03b1\u1f78\u03c2 or inner shrine of the tabernacle of the testimony\n(i. e. of the tabernacle of the law of God), is seen in heaven opened, and\nthe seven angels who are clothed as priests and have charge of the plagues\ncome out of it as the vindicators of that law. These are \u201carrayed with\n_precious_ stone\u201d, according to the variant reading adopted in the Revised\nVersion, which has the weight of manuscript authority in its favor; but,\nas this reading differs from the Authorized Version only by a single\nletter in the Greek word, and only yields sense by the insertion of the\nword \u201cprecious\u201d, it is best to regard it as due to a very early mistake of\na copyist, and keep the old reading, \u201cclothed in linen\u201d, (Ezek. 9:2).(498)\nThe thought is in either case practically the same, viz. that these angels\nare clothed like priests, for the phrase \u201carrayed with precious stone\u201d, if\nwe adhere to that reading, recalls the breastplate of the high\u2010priest, as\nthe phrase \u201cclothed in linen\u201d evidently refers to the garments of the\npriesthood. There are seven angels in the vision to symbolize the\nuniversal character of the punishments, and there are given unto them by\none of the four living creatures who represent all created life, seven\ngolden vials or bowls full of the wrath of God (cf. Jer. 25:15f) to\nindicate the nature of their mission. \u201cAnd the temple was filled with\nsmoke\u201d, the sign of the presence and glory and terror of the Lord; and, as\nat Sinai, no one could enter his presence while the judgments were being\nmanifested.\n\n\nB. The Vials Poured Out, Ch. 16:1\u201012, and 17\u201021\n\n\nThe vials or bowls in the vision, which are apparently the same as the\nbasons used in the temple service for receiving the sacrificial blood and\nthe wine of the drink\u2010offering, are made the symbolic receptacles of the\njudicial wrath of God against sin, called \u201cthe wine of the fierceness of\nhis wrath\u201d in verse nineteen, which is evidently conceived of as stored up\nthrough long periods to be suddenly and violently poured out. The golden\nbowls seem to indicate broad shallow vessels quite unlike our modern\nvials, probably of a deep saucer\u2010like shape so that their contents could\nbe poured out at once and suddenly.(499) The name \u201cvials\u201d has, however,\nbeen retained in these notes, notwithstanding the change to \u201cbowls\u201d in the\nRevised Version, because of its associations and wide use in commentaries.\nThe translation of \u03c6\u03b9\u03ac\u03bb\u03b1\u03c2 as \u201cbowls\u201d is doubtless more accurate, but the\nterm used is relatively indifferent if the proper meaning be attached to\nit. They are not vials in the modern sense, but in the original sense of\nthe word \u03c6\u03b9\u03ac\u03bb\u03b7 in the Greek, which is the source of our English word\n\u201cvial\u201d, but which meant a shallow cup or bowl. The pouring out of the\nvials or bowls is the symbol of the execution of divine wrath upon the\nworld. The vague description given in the vision of the nature of the\ninflictions which finally fall upon men as the result of the pouring out\nof the vials, forbids our attempting any very definite interpretation of\nthem beyond the most general one that the world of nature and of men is\nmade to abound with terrors which distress the evil. In this\ninterpretation we can be absolutely confident, and the general effect\nseems to be the chief matter of importance. The abiding impression of the\njudgments of the vials, despite their obscurity, is one of deep and\npervasive solemnity.\n\n\n(1.) The Command to Pour Out the Vials, Ch. 16:1\n\n\nPreceding the opening of the series a great voice is heard out of the\ntemple, i. e. from the inner shrine of the temple in heaven, apparently\nfrom God himself, though possibly from one of the Angels of the Presence,\nsaying to the seven angels, \u201cGo ye and pour out the seven bowls [or vials]\nof the wrath of God into the earth\u201d; and in obedience to this command each\nangel empties his vial into, or upon, an appointed object. The first three\nvials are poured _into_ the objects named, while the last four are poured\n_upon_ them, as indicated by the prepositions \u03b5\u03af\u03c2 and \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76; but, so far as\ncan be seen, no special purpose is served by this use.\n\n\n1 The Pouring Out of the First Vial, Ch. 16:2\n\n\nThe first angel poured out his vial into the earth; and it became a\nnoisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the Beast: the\nsymbol of wrath poured out on the earth, and thus upon the men who are of\nit and belong to it, producing suffering that is bitter and intense. The\nform of the judgment is doubtless purposely indefinite, but the object on\nwhich it falls is made plain: the men who have attached themselves to the\ncompany of the Beast bear their punishment to the full, and it is poured\nout upon them by divine authority.\n\n\n2 The Pouring Out of the Second Vial, Ch. 16:3\n\n\nThe second angel poured out his vial into the sea; and it became blood as\nof a dead man, i. e. clotted and putrefying, and it caused every living\nthing in the sea to die\u2014a form of judgment that was very repulsive to the\nJewish mind: the symbol of wrath poured out on the sea, one part of the\nfourfold division of creation noted under the trumpets, and thus upon men\nwho are made to suffer by this means for their evil doing. As under the\ntrumpets the first four vials are poured out upon the earth, the sea, the\nrivers and fountains, and the sun, a figurative form indicating their\nworld\u2010wide character\u2014they affect the whole created world.\n\n\n3 The Pouring Out of the Third Vial, Ch. 16:4\u20107\n\n\nThe third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of\nthe waters; and they became blood: the symbol of wrath poured out on the\nsources of water supply for the people, thereby punishing men\nretributively for the righteous blood which they had shed, and calling\nforth voices of approval from heaven, viz. from the angel of the\nwaters,(500) and from the altar, i. e. from the place where the martyrs\nrest (ch. 6:9). Retribution is declared to be the judicial result of\ndivine wrath for sin; those who poured out the blood of saints and of\nprophets are given blood to drink as their just desert\u2014a fearful\npunishment to the Eastern mind.\n\n\n4 The Pouring Out of the Fourth Vial, Ch. 16:8\u20109\n\n\nThe fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and it was given unto\nit to scorch men with fire: the symbol of wrath poured out on the heavenly\nbodies, especially upon the sun the source of light and heat, that they\nmay become the agent of punishment to men. And men blasphemed the name of\nGod, who is recognized as having power over these plagues; and they\nrepented not to give him glory, exhibiting the aspect of punishment which\nembitters and does not lead to repentance. It is a curious coincidence\nthat the parts of creation which are made the subjects of judgment under\nthe fourth vial and the fourth trumpet are described in Genesis as having\nbeen created on the fourth day.\n\n\n5 The Pouring Out of the Fifth Vial, Ch. 16:10\u201011\n\n\nThe fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the Beast; and his\nkingdom was darkened; and men gnawed their tongues for pain, and\nblasphemed the God of heaven, and they repented not of their works: the\nsymbol of wrath poured out on the throne of the Beast as the\nrepresentative of Satan\u2019s power in the world, thus afflicting the\nworshippers of the Beast and his image. Under the fifth vial it will be\nseen that the plagues pass from the physical to the spiritual sphere of\naction, just as they did in the seals and trumpets; and they are found to\nbe cumulative rather than successive, while, as under the preceding vial,\nthey do not lead to repentance but to wrath and punishment. Also,\nthroughout the vials, it is not the third part only that is affected, as\nunder the trumpets, but the punishment falls upon the whole created world,\nshowing the universal character of the judgments.\n\n\n6 The Pouring Out of the Sixth Vial, Ch. 16:12\n\n\nThe sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river, the Euphrates;\nand the water thereof was dried up,(501) that the way might be made ready\nfor the kings that come from the sunrising: the symbol of wrath poured out\non the Euphrates, the center and seat of heathenism, or on the world\u2010\nforces of evil, thereby opening the way for the influx of the Kings of the\nEast to march to their ruin. The Kings of the East evidently belong to the\n\u201ckings of the whole world\u201d (v. 14), and are instruments of the Dragon and\nof the Beast who go up to war, not against Babylon, but against\nbelievers.(502) The Euphrates was the center and stronghold of heathenism\nto the Jewish mind, and behind that lay the indefinite world\u2010power which\nis here represented by the Kings of the East; upon these the angel poured\nout the vial of the retributive wrath of God.\n\n[At this point the Episode Vb, given in verses thirteen to sixteen, occurs\nin the order of the vision,\u2014a paragraph which though of limited extent has\nyet a clear relation to the course of the vials as an intervening vision\nof warning to the redeemed, and preparing the way for the approaching\nend.]\n\n\n7 The Pouring Out of the Seventh Vial, Ch. 16:17\u201021\n\n\nThe seventh angel poured out his vial upon the air; and there came forth a\ngreat voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, \u201cIt is done:(503)\nand there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great\nearthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth\u201d: the\nsymbol of wrath poured out on the air as the familiar abode of evil\nspirits,(504) and also of the coming of the End, which is depicted by the\nfall of cities, especially of Babylon the great city, the type of the\ngodless world, which is divided asunder into three parts, a symbol of\ncompleteness,\u2014also three a symbol of the divine, perhaps implying God hath\nwrought it,\u2014and is given to drink of the cup of the wine of the fierceness\nof God\u2019s wrath; by the destruction of islands and mountains, and by a\nplague of great hail, exceeding great, every stone of which was about the\nweight of a talent, i. e. from 108 to 130 pounds; \u201cand men blasphemed God\nbecause of the plague of the hail\u201d.(505) The End itself is unrecorded; but\nwith the infliction of the seven vials it is declared that \u201cthe wrath of\nGod is spent\u201d.(506) The whole course of the vials is toward the End, which\nthough not described, yet stands out in singular prominence as the\ninevitable result of the ruin wrought by sin; and here, as in the vision\nof the trumpets, the millennial period is not brought into view as a\npreceding stage. The transition to the scene of victory in the seventeenth\nchapter is after this immediately made by one of the vial\u2010angels (ch.\n17:1).\n\nIf we now recall the path of the seven vials, we can see how in their\ncourse they rapidly and intensively press on to the end of the ages and to\nthe final ruin of the world, and also how they aptly prefigure the\nprogressive punitive inflictions of God for sin. They are both world\u2010wide\nin their character and relentless in their execution. They fall upon the\nland, and upon the sea, upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and upon\nthe sun the source of light,\u2014the figurative representatives of the created\nuniverse. Then, like the judgments of the seals and of the trumpets, they\npass from the natural world to the sphere of the spiritual, and are seen\nto fall upon the far\u2010reaching kingdom of the Beast, i. e. upon the world\u2010\npowers operating under Satan\u2019s direction in open hostility to the church;\nafterward they fall upon the Euphrates, the old center of heathenism and\nseat of spiritual darkness in the far East, the typical center of the\nworld\u2010forces of evil; and finally under the seventh vial they lead to the\nend of the world, the conclusion of the centuries, and the day of complete\nrecompense for sin. The distinction between the kingdom of the Beast, i.\ne. the world\u2010powers of all time, and the forces represented by the\nEuphrates, the center and seat of heathenism, is not so clearly drawn\nunder the fifth and sixth vials, as that between Satan with his host, and\nthe world\u2010forces of heathenism, under the fifth and sixth trumpets. But\nthe kingdom of the Beast, here, as elsewhere, evidently represents the\nworld\u2010kingdoms in their organized form (or if taken in a narrower sense\nthe then kingdom of Rome that foreshadowed them all), which forces are\nspiritually opposed to the kingdom of God; whereas the Euphrates, the\ncenter and seat of spiritual darkness in the historic past, apparently\nrepresents heathenism in the great East, which is here regarded as a far\u2010\nreaching spiritual force operating against Christianity\u2014the judgments\nunder these vials falling upon the world\u2010force operating in the sphere of\nthe spiritual, and upon the world\u2010religions opposing Christianity. And no\none surely can read the record of the vials without being impressed with\nthe unerring certainty and absolute terror of the final punishment for\nsin; so that even if the vision of the vials did point primarily, as most\npreterists insist, to the destruction of Rome and its temporal power, it\nsurely points yet more decisively to the great era of judgment upon the\npowers of evil that culminates in the closing period of human history. The\nvision depicts God punishing the evil in a progressive course to the very\nend, and this end is only effectively reached in the day of final\njudgment.\n\n\n\nVb The Episode of the Frog\u2010like Spirits (A Vision of Warning). Ch.\n16:13\u201016\n\n\nThis passage, it will be seen, is a minor digression between the sixth and\nseventh vials, corresponding to the episodes in the vision of the seals\nand of the trumpets, though not like them a vision of comfort, but a\nvision of danger to the church from the combined forces of evil in the\nworld, yet not without anticipation of the glorious outcome which is given\nin the nineteenth chapter (v. 19\u201021), for these forces, we are told, are\ngathered together unto \u201cthe war of the great day of God, the Almighty\u201d (v.\n14), the outcome of which in the Revelation is never at any time in doubt.\n\n\n1 The Unclean Spirits of Evil, Ch. 16:13\u201014, and 16\n\n\nAt this point three unclean spirits, as it were frogs,(507)\u2014three, the\nsymbol of the spiritual, used in this case exceptionally of the spirits of\ndemons,\u2014come out of the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False\nProphet (or Second Beast), representing the malign influences by which\nthese powers of evil incite the kings of the earth to the great world\u2010\nconflict against Christianity, described here under the figure of a battle\nof the war of the great day of God, the Almighty, taking place at Har\u2010\nMagedon, i. e. either the fortified city, or the mountain of Megiddo, by\nthe edge of the plain of Esdraelon, the great historic battle\u2010ground of\nJewish history (cf. Joel 3:2f; also _Bk. of Enoch_ 56.5\u20108),(508) probably\nreferred to because of the notable victory attained there over the kings\nof Canaan (Jg. 5:19). In this culminating scene of conflict we have what\nmay be regarded as a symbolic view of the entire struggle between sin and\nholiness which is ever going on in the world the ages through, but more\nparticularly of its triumphant ending in the last age when the Dragon and\nthe kings of the earth shall be completely and finally overthrown;(509)\nbut beyond this partial interpretation we cannot safely go in any\ntrustworthy exposition of this truly impressive figure. The symbol of\nbattle and victory, it depicts the conflict of the centuries, and points\nto the assured triumph that awaits the people of God in the end of the\nworld, while it incites men to persistent faith and hope; but like many\nother prophetic predictions, its explicit interpretation can only be\ndefinitely given after the events themselves have been openly fulfilled.\n\n\n2 John\u2019s Word of Warning, Ch. 16:15\n\n\nIn the midst of the episode a word of warning is given by John to the\nreader, as from Christ himself, declaring the importance of watching in\nthe presence of such trial, and announcing a blessing upon him that\nwatcheth and keepeth his garments. Then with the closing words of the\nepisode in the sixteenth verse, the vision recurs to the seventh vial\nwhich is at once poured out.\n\n\n\nVI The Vision of Victory (A Vision of Vindication). Ch. 17:1\u201020:15\n\n\nThe vision of victory is a revelation of complete and enduring triumph in\nthe final issue of the conflict between sin and righteousness, showing the\ndoom of Christ\u2019s enemies, the vindication of the righteous, and the\nconsummation of the ages. The vision consists of three parts, viz. (1) the\nmystic Babylon and her fall, (2) the triumph of the redeemed, and (3) the\nlast things, which are seven in number, implying a sevenfold completeness.\nThis triple division of the contents of the section before us, into a\ndescription of Babylon\u2019s fall, redemption\u2019s triumph, and the things of the\nend, is one that is clearly indicated in the thought of the text, whatever\nplan of division we may adopt, and as these all belong to the final\nvictory in its completeness, they may well be presumed to constitute parts\nof one vision. Opinions differ, however, concerning the correct division\nof this part of the book almost as much as they do in regard to the\ninterpretation. The division adopted here, though not coinciding in all\nits parts with any single authority, is one of the simplest and most\nnatural, and it is believed will commend itself to the reader.(510) In\nentering upon this section it will be noted that the transition from the\nvision of vials to the vision of victory is made in the first verse of the\nseventeenth chapter by one of the seven vial\u2010angels, who offers to show\nJohn the judgment of the great Harlot, or of Babylon, i. e. the complete\nand final judgment of the seventh vial wrought out, thus leading by a\nnatural connection of thought to a fuller view of one phase of the\njudgment of the world, and through this on to victory and to the End.\n\n\nA The Mystic Babylon and Her Fall, Ch. 17:1\u201018:24\n\n\nIn these two chapters there is given an impressive portrayal of the sinful\nworld as she lures men to evil, under the symbol of Babylon, or the\nHarlot, and of the final punishment inflicted upon her; it is, in fact, an\nelaboration of the judgment of the seventh vial, foreshadowing the\ndownfall of the most insidious, seductive, and persistent form of the\nworld\u2019s opposition to Christ and his kingdom, viz. corrupt society. This\npassage forms a subclimax of rare beauty and power, and one that is of\nprime importance in the interpretation of the book, for it contains one of\nthe chief ideas of the Revelation, and necessarily affects our conception\nof the prophecy throughout. That pagan Rome in its social debasement and\nspiritual degradation was in the foreground of John\u2019s thought can scarcely\nbe doubted;(511) but in the light of prophetic vision it formed an ideal\ngroundwork for the larger thought of the godless world, the world from the\nstandpoint of its material and social forces adverse to God and his\nkingdom, the perpetual Rome. Some interpreters limit the meaning of\nBabylon to the coeval city of Rome, or to the nation that centered in the\ncity, pagan Rome, others refer it to the Roman church, papal Rome, and\nstill others to Jerusalem, the Jewish Rome, while a common interpretation\nmakes it the apostate church in a fallen age, a prophetic Rome. But the\nfigure is more correctly interpreted as the ideal and universal world\u2010\ncity, a symbol designed to include every city or community that exalts\nitself against the dominion of Christ, the perpetual Rome, the ever\u2010\nrecurring Babylon whose spirit never dies, the city being regarded as the\nhighest expression of the world\u2019s social and communal life.(512)\n\nWith the portrayal of Babylon is completed the cycle of great world\u2010forces\nthat we find depicted in the Revelation as arrayed against our Lord and\nhis Christ. The entire opposition of the present evil world to Christ and\nhis kingdom is presented in these visions under four separate and distinct\nsymbols,\u2014four the earth\u2010number\u2014viz. (1) the Dragon or Satan, the World\u2010\nLord, the prime antagonist and representative leader of the spiritual\nforces of evil, who incites the world to resist the rule of Christ, the\nworld taking its cue and color from Satan, the arch\u2010enemy of all good; (2)\nthe First Beast, the World\u2010Power, the national and political forces of the\nworld in their organized form opposing and persecuting Christ and the\nchurch, the world acting through the elements of civic and social order,\nof law and government, making them the agents of persecution; (3) the\nSecond Beast, the World\u2010Religion, the national and racial false religious\nforces of the world, with their moral and intellectual thraldom over the\nminds of men, contending against Christianity and the kingdom, the world\nacting through the elements of the natural and ethnic religions, and of\nsuperstition and priestcraft their innate cogeners, permeating them with\ndeceit and making them the agents of delusion and oppression; and (4) the\nHarlot Babylon, the World\u2010City, society in its commercial, impure, and\ngodless life resisting the progress of the kingdom, the world acting\nthrough the elements of the social, sexual, and commercial relations of\nmen, making them the agents of sin. This fourfold form of world\u2010opposition\nto Christ and the church is a fundamental conception of the Apocalypse,\nand lies at the core of any correct interpretation of the book.(513) For,\nnotwithstanding their close relation, to identify Babylon with the first\nBeast, or the second, or both, as is often done, is to confuse ideas that\nare essentially distinct, and measurably to miss the proper significance\nof the lesson contained. And if we fail to perceive the proper meaning of\nany part of this fourfold symbolism, we lose in some measure at least the\ncomplete and general effect of the whole sublime creation of the\nApocalyptic vision.\n\n\n1 The Harlot and the Interpretation, Ch. 17:1\u201018\n\n\nThe vision of the Harlot is a figurative and profoundly significant view\nof the world\u2019s sin as unfaithfulness to God, described under the analogue\nof unfaithfulness to the marriage relation, according to the familiar\nmethod of Hebrew thought. The world is presented as a spiritual harlot,\none that has proved untrue to her Lord and that merits condign punishment.\n\n\n(1) The Judgment of the Harlot Announced, Ch. 17:1\u20102\n\n\nOne of the seven angels having the seven vials, calls John in order to\nshow him the judgment about to be inflicted upon the great Harlot. The\nagency of a vial\u2010angel in revealing this vision, indicates a connection\nbetween the vial\u2010judgments and the fall of Babylon; and, as stated above,\nit is an elaboration of those judgments, especially that of the seventh\nvial.\n\n\n(2) The View of the Harlot, Ch. 17:3\u20106\n\n\nThe angel carries John in the Spirit away into a wilderness where he sees\nin the vision an impure Woman arrayed in purple, the royal color, and in\nscarlet, the sign of bloodshed, while she is decked with gold and jewels,\nthe tokens of her wealth, and has in her hand a golden cup, full of the\nabominations of her fornications; and she is seated on a scarlet\u2010colored\nBeast that is covered with names full of blasphemy, i. e. she rests upon\nand is allied with the world\u2010power, for the scarlet Beast is the same as\nthe Beast from the sea in chapter thirteen (v. 1\u201010); and upon her\nforehead her name is written,(514) \u201cMYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER\nOF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH\u201d, and she is \u201cdrunken\nwith the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus\u201d.\n\n\n(3) The Interpretation Given, Ch. 17:7\u201018\n\n\nThe angel declares the mystery of the Woman of Sin to John\u2019s waiting ears.\nThe Harlot whose home is in the wilderness, i. e. in this world (perhaps\nso called from the thought of the wilderness as the place of temptation of\nIsrael, of Elijah, and of Christ, and as the haunt of demons where the\nscapegoat was sent forth to Azazel), is definitely identified with Babylon\n(v. 5 and 18), the great World\u2010City, the dwelling\u2010place and representative\nof corrupt society tempting men to evil. The great Harlot is the ideal\npersonification of the great city. There is in fact a double symbolism;\nthe great Harlot symbolizes the great city, as the great city symbolizes\nthe great world, for the Harlot, the city, and the world are one and the\nsame in the wider thought of the Revelation. She is the combined\nincarnation of commercialism, lust, and irreligion,(515) the unbelieving\nworld and not the apostate church, humanity untrue to God, the social life\nof men adverse to the kingdom.(516) The Harlot is the manifest\nimpersonation of lust and sexual impurity, a form of the world\u2019s sin that\nhas always been the source of ruin to a multitude of souls\u2014her traffic, we\nare told, is in the \u201csouls of men\u201d (ch. 18:13). She represents the world\ntempting men through the sexual appetite, though the figure does not stop\nwith that, as the story of the fall of her wealth and the punishment of\nher irreligious life clearly shows. All the social side of life that tends\nto sin is represented by this impressive figure before which the\nApocalyptist \u201cwondered with a great wonder\u201d (v. 6).\n\nThe interpretation of the Harlot Babylon as the Roman Catholic Church, a\nmethod so prevalent in the period that succeeded the Reformation, is\nhappily in its decadence, for it has no justification in the text. But to\nfind in this figure a symbol and portent of apostasy prevailing in the\nchurch universal that shall increase as the centuries go on,(517) is\nequally unfortunate and imparts a tone of pessimism to the entire prophecy\nwhich cannot be too strongly deprecated. No sign of apostasy is anywhere\ngiven in the account of Babylon\u2019s fall, for there is no indication that\nthe Harlot was ever holy. Her sin is worldliness, impurity, idolatry, and\npersecution of the saints. For an apostate church the fitting symbol for\nthat age would have been not Babylon but Samaria, the city of the\nfaithless Israel. And we may be confidently assured that Babylon\nrepresents here what it always stood for to the Hebrew mind, the typical\nworld\u2010city, the hereditary enemy of the church from without and not from\nwithin, whose harlotry is the sign of her unfaithfulness to God and truth.\nFor even though a majority of Protestant interpreters until within a late\nperiod have made Babylon the apostate church, following the traditional\nopinion, it is nevertheless a mistaken view, since it is based upon the\nOld Testament use of harlotry as a figure of apostasy and idolatry in\nIsrael, a figure assumed to be identical throughout, ignoring the manifest\ndifference in its present use in connection with a heathen city. The\nmodern view that Babylon is Rome in John\u2019s day is nearer correct, but is\ntoo narrow in its application. Babylon is the abiding Rome with its\nworldly life striving to supplant the Christ, the world\u2010city in all ages\nand times.\n\nThe Scarlet Beast on which the Woman is seated, the color of the Dragon\n(ch. 12:3) and the sign of the blood which it has shed, is referred to as\nthe one that \u201cwas, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss\u201d\n(v. 8), a description showing it to be the same as the First Beast which\nreceived the deadly wound that was healed (ch. 13:3), i. e. the world\u2010\npower, and apparently designed to place it in marked antithesis with the\ndivine designation, \u201cwho is and who was and who is to come,\u201d in the first\nchapter of the book (v. 4 and 8). The enigmatical phrase \u201cwas, and is not;\nand is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition\u201d, may\nalso refer to a lull in the persecution by the world\u2010power, subsequently\nto be renewed and leading to its final destruction as a power, though its\nwider reference is perhaps to the persistence and reappearance of the\nworld\u2010power after any one of its forms has been overthrown, together with\nthe certainty of its final ruin. Most preterists interpret the Beast that\n\u201cwas, and is not; and is about to come\u201d, as a reference to Nero whose\nreturn was generally expected (a superstitious phantasy of a _Nero\nredivivus_), by a change of figure, the emperor previously referred to as\nthe fifth head of the Beast becoming the Beast itself\u2014a questionable\ninterpretation, apparently wrought out by a keen fancy to fit the words of\nthe prophecy, but lacking efficient support in the text. The Beast in the\nvision carries the Harlot, i. e. the world\u2010city rests upon and is upheld\nby the world\u2010power, an unhallowed union in striking contrast with that of\nthe Lamb and the Bride. This symbolism indicates the near relation\nexisting between the world\u2010city and the world\u2010power exemplified in\nhistory, the world in its social and irreligious form allying itself with\nand relying upon the persecuting world\u2010power.\n\nIt should be noted here that the symbolism used in the chapter before us\nis shown to be very wide in its application. The seven heads of the Beast\nhave first of all their proper symbolic meaning of full or universal\ndominion, i. e. dominion over this present evil world; but they are\nfurther interpreted to have other and different significance. We are told\nin verse nine that they are \u201cseven mountains\u201d, evidently in the primary\nmeaning those of the city of Rome, which was seated on seven hills; but\nsymbolizing besides this all mountains and hills which are the seat of\nworld\u2010cities, in accordance with the common apocalyptic usage of seven\n(cf. _II Esdr._ 2.19; and _Bk of Enoch_ 18.6). The seven heads are also in\na sense identified with the \u201cmany waters\u201d on which the Woman sitteth (v.\n15), which we are told, are \u201cpeoples, and multitudes, and nations, and\ntongues\u201d, the many dwellers in world\u2010cities\u2014for she spreads her power over\nall mountains and all waters.(518) They are also \u201cseven kings\u201d (v. 10),\nthe king representing the throne and all it stands for, i. e. seven\nkingdoms, a complete number, the totality of kind, all the kingdoms of the\nworld throughout history, though probably, like the seven churches,\nconceived of as individual kingdoms which are taken as representative of\nall.(519) Perhaps in John\u2019s thought they were Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia,\nPersia, and Greece, the five known to him that were already fallen and\nRome, the one then existing\u2014the nations connected with Israel\u2019s past. The\npast was history, but the future was seen only in outline, and John groups\nit all under one great world\u2010power, completing the number seven, which was\nyet to appear. This last \u201cmust continue a little while\u201d, i. e. during the\nremaining time of the world\u2019s existence, the usual sense of \u201ca little\nwhile\u201d in the Revelation, a period short in comparison with eternity. The\nBeast is also \u201can eighth\u201d, we are told, i. e. when it is regarded apart\nfrom the seven heads,(520) for the world\u2010power may be conceived of as in\nitself a unit, comprising all its different manifestations, and yet\nseparate from them and giving rise to them. The remark is, however,\nparenthetic and incidental, and ought not to be regarded as creating any\nspecial difficulty, for no reference is anywhere else made to an eighth,\nand it is probably introduced here simply because eight is the symbol of\nculmination (see App\u2019x E). We are further told that the Beast is \u201cof the\nseven\u201d (v. 11), i. e. he is formed\u2014Gr. \u1f10\u03ba\u2014\u201cout of seven\u201d, or in other\nwords the Beast _is_ the seven kingdoms regarded as a unit, the world\u2010\npower as it exists in all ages.(521) Also the ten horns (v. 12) which\nsymbolize complete earthly power, ten symbolizing completeness and usually\napplying to the earthly, are representative of various subdivisions of the\nworld\u2010power, minor kingdoms with their kings, which are added to the seven\nheads as an additional symbol of world\u2010wide empire. These are evidently\nthought of as yet to rise after John\u2019s day, for they are denominated\n\u201ckings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as\nkings with the Beast for one hour\u201d, i. e. each one for an hour, or for a\ntime that is relatively short,(522) an indefinite period, the ten kingdoms\nreaching in this case, apparently, to the end of the world\u2014not definitely\nten kingdoms or kings any more than one hour is a definite time limit, but\nrather ten, the number of completeness of all the parts, representing all\nkings and kingdoms yet to rise throughout succeeding time. \u201cIt seems\nprobable,\u201d as has been well said, \u201cthat John foresees that the hostile\nworld\u2010power will not be always pre\u00ebminently wielded by one nation as in\nhis time; but will be divided into many parts, here represented by the\nnumber ten which is a complete number and not necessarily implying only\nten in all. This indeed exactly describes what has really been the case\nsince St. John\u2019s time, and what, humanly speaking, seems likely to\ncontinue to the end of the world.\u201d(523) It may, also, be pointed out that\nthe ruin of the world\u2010city described by John has been the fate of every\nsuch city known to history. Thus the ten horns would seem to be identical\nwith the seventh king or kingdom which is apparently the last, the world\u2010\npower divided into many parts and continuing to the end of time. These\ndivisions of the world\u2010power, though originally hostile to Christ (v. 14),\nshall yet under divine direction eventually destroy the world\u2010city in all\nlands and make her desolate (v. 16 and 17), i. e. the corrupt society,\ncentered in cities, which opposes Christ and his kingdom. \u201cAnd the Lamb\nshall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings\u201d, i. e.\nwhile God is seen to work through the multiple world\u2010power, the ten horns\nor kingdoms, and eventually to destroy the Harlot, corrupt society in the\nworld, he yet finally overcomes the kingdoms of this world that war\nagainst him, and makes them his own; he triumphs on the earth in the\nfulness of time, for the kingdoms of the world, we are told, shall \u201cbecome\nthe kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and\never\u201d (ch. 11:15). \u201cAnd they _also shall overcome_ that are with him,\ncalled and chosen and faithful\u201d (v. 14)\u2014the promise of success for the\nbelieving. In the preterist\u2010historical view the overthrow of the great\ncity, or the Harlot, by the ten subordinate rulers or kings, the ten\nhorns, is commonly interpreted as a reference to the current expectation\nthat Eastern nations, especially the Parthians, were likely to march\nagainst the city of Rome and overthrow it, an application of the prophecy\nquite possible in the minds of the generation which first received it, but\nnot reaching its deeper and essential meaning, and failing of any actual\nrealization. At this point it may be not inapt to remark that the wide\nlatitude with which the symbolism of the seven heads is interpreted by the\nangel in this chapter, is a valuable guide to the general method of the\nApocalypse, and should put us on our guard against limiting the\nsignificance of the symbols strictly to a single thought, where more than\none may properly be intended. At the same time this does not give us the\nliberty of unlimited freedom, but prevents our being too positive in many\ncases as to the exact limits of the symbolism.\n\nOther interpretations make the Beast the Roman Empire, and the seven heads\nseven different forms of Roman government known to history, or seven\nindividual kings, and the ten horns the various parts, subdivisions, or\nsubordinate rulers of the Empire. The current interpretation of the\npreterist school accepts unqualifiedly the seven heads as seven kings of\nthe Roman Empire and identifies Nero with the fifth head or king who is\nnow \u201cfallen\u201d, i. e. is now dead, but is about to be restored again,\naccording to a wide\u2010spread expectation of that time, and to become the\neighth head or king. This view, though supported by many eminent\nauthorities, especially those of the later critical school, involves\nserious difficulties. It is dependent upon the earlier date of the\nApocalypse, or at least this portion of it, i. e. just after the death of\nNero, the only time fitting such a prophecy\u2014a matter by no means assured;\nand the prophecy, if it had this meaning, was falsified by subsequent\nevents within a generation, a contingency which would necessarily have\ndiscredited the book before the church, and would make its acceptance as a\ngenuine prophetic writing extremely difficult, if not impossible, to\naccount for. These considerations serve to nullify the surety and\npositiveness with which this interpretation is generally urged by its\nadvocates, and late writers indicate a healthful reaction against the\nview.(524)\n\nAnother similar view makes the emperors who are intended by the heads of\nthe Beast to be (1) Augustus, (2) Tiberius, (3) Caligula, (4) Claudius,\n(5) Nero (now \u201cfallen\u201d, or dead\u2014Galba, Otho, and Vitellius who succeeded\nNero for short periods being omitted as pretenders), (6) Vespasian (the\none who now \u201cis\u201d, i. e. now is on the throne), (7) Titus (who \u201cmust\ncontinue a little while\u201d, i. e. have a short reign), and (8) Domitian (a\nsecond Nero\u2014\u201can eighth\u201d who \u201cis of the seven\u201d). This interpretation,\nthough quite possible from one point of view, necessarily limits the\nvision to a narrow horizon; and while, like the former view, it tends to\nbring the teaching of the book into closer harmony with Jewish\nApocalyptic, yet it obscures to some extent at least the wider and\nuniversal teaching which seems to the average Christian mind to belong\nessentially to the prophetic insight. It should be remembered, too, that\nthe seven heads and ten horns belong originally to the Dragon or Satan, as\nsymbols of his world\u2010wide power, and are here transferred to the Beast as\nSatan\u2019s representative; and therefore it is more likely that they have a\nuniversal reference than that they apply to a single empire, for Satan\u2019s\nsphere of influence is confessedly world\u2010wide (cf. ch. 13:1, note).\nBesides it is fruitless to attempt to interpret with any positiveness the\nheads and horns as individual nations and kings, as the diverse results\nhave shown, each interpreter having his own application, and no one\ninterpretation being generally accepted.(525) But even if we cannot be so\npositive as to the primary meaning, we should not allow the larger and\nmore important meaning to escape us, the meaning for us and for all time.\nThis is the fundamental principle of interpretation according to the\nsymbolical school, which should be kept in mind throughout; and it is\nremarkable how often the general meaning is plain when the original\nreference, as in this case, is obscure. For even if John had primarily in\nmind certain phases of the Roman Empire, we must not lose sight of his\nidealization of the symbolism. The numbers seven and ten are not to be\ninterpreted literally but symbolically as elsewhere throughout the book.\nWhatever kings and kingdoms are in the first instance intended, they are\nintroduced as the type of all kings and kingdoms of this world throughout\nall time, in accordance with the prevalent use of numbers in the\nApocalypse; so that in any case the chief thought established is\nessentially the same, viz. that the anti\u2010christian world\u2010power attains its\nfulness and completeness under the numbers seven and ten, and then wanes\nand is eventually destroyed. If we interpret of Rome, then the ruin of the\none empire with its rulers and parts foreshadows that of every other\nearth\u2010power that opposes the rule of Christ among men, and the overthrow\nof the one city with its social and civic forces allied with evil,\nprefigures that of the entire anti\u2010christian social and civic power\nthroughout the world.\n\n\n2 The Fall of the City Proclaimed, Ch. 18:1\u201024\n\n\nThe mystery of the Harlot and of the Beast having been revealed, another\nangel now declares the doom which awaits them. The downfall of the city\nand the destruction of her wealth is set forth as the type of the\noverthrow of corrupt society with all pertaining to it, in order that the\nfulness of Christ\u2019s kingdom may be ushered in among men. In the vision of\nthe prophet the ruin is viewed as already complete; attention is centered\nso fully upon the result attained that the method by which it is\naccomplished is left quite out of view. But the closing verses of the\npreceding chapter serve to indicate the source of her destruction, viz. in\nthe ten horns, or subdivisions of the world\u2010kingdom, which rise against\nthe Harlot and overthrow her (ch. 17:16\u201017),\u2014the historic fate of world\u2010\nempires and world\u2010cities in revolution and ruin. It is here worthy of note\nhow clearly we find in this chapter reverberating echoes from Isaiah\u2019s\nDoom of Babylon and of Tyre (Isa. ch. 13:23, 47), and from Jeremiah\u2019s Doom\nof Babylon (Jer. chs. 50 and 51), as well as from Ezekiel\u2019s Doom of Tyre\n(Ezek. chs. 26\u201028).(526) Though the fall of the heathen city of Rome was\ndoubtless foremost in John\u2019s mind, let us not forget that it only formed\nthe basis of the wider thought of the ultimate fate and fall of the great\ngodless world which it so clearly foreshadowed, the foresight of which was\na part of the prophetic vision.(527)\n\n\n(1) The Announcement of Her Overthrow, Ch. 18:1\u20103\n\n\nAn angel\u2014called here \u201canother angel\u201d in distinction from the one\ndesignated as \u201cone of the seven angels\u201d in chapter seventeen (v. 1)\u2014is\nseen coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and crying with a\nmighty voice, \u201cFallen! fallen is Babylon the great!\u201d and recounting the\nstory of her crimes as the abundant cause of her ruin.\n\n\n(2) The Warning to God\u2019s People, Ch. 18:4\u20108\n\n\nYet another voice from heaven bids the people of God come out of her\nbefore the final retribution, that they be not made partakers of her sins\nand receive not of her plagues, for her sins have reached even unto\nheaven; and urges the executors of her judgment to reward her double, i.\ne. to exact full legal retribution for her sins (Ex. 22:4\u20107). And she\nshall be utterly destroyed, shall be \u201cburned with fire; for strong is the\nLord God who judged her\u201d.\n\n\n(3) The Lament of the Kings of the Earth over Her Doom, Ch. 18:9\u201010\n\n\nThe rulers of the world\u2010powers who have shared in her sin are seen\nstanding afar off for fear of her torment, witnessing her fall; and their\ncry is heard, \u201cWoe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in\none hour [i. e. in a short time or suddenly] is thy judgment\ncome\u201d,\u2014mourning over her ruin which is sudden and complete.\n\n\n(4) The Lament of the Merchants, Ch. 18:11\u201017a\n\n\nThe merchants of the earth also weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth\ntheir merchandise or cargo any more. The articles of merchandise\nenumerated are many, indicating her wealth, and seem to be arranged in a\nprogressive order of importance, and to fall naturally into six classes,\n(Babylon\u2019s number, the symbol of evil\u2014ch. 13:18), which may be divided as\nfollows, viz. (1) those of personal adornment; (2) of furniture; (3) of\nsensual gratification; (4) of food; (5) of animate forms; and (6) of souls\n(i. e. persons) of men.(528) All have perished; and the merchants cry\naloud, \u201cWoe, woe, the great city! ... for in one hour so great riches is\nmade desolate.\u201d\n\n\n(5) The Lament of the Seamen, Ch. 18. 17b\u201019\n\n\nAll those who gained their living by the sea, ship\u2010masters, mariners, and\nevery one that saileth any whither, stood afar off and cried, \u201cWhat _city_\nis like the great city?\u201d And they cast dust upon their heads, weeping and\nmourning, the sign of their deep though worldly sorrow, saying, \u201cWoe, woe,\nthe great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich\nby reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.\u201d In\nthis triple mourning of the kings of the earth, of the merchants, and of\nthe seamen, is shown the wide relations of Babylon, too wide in fact for\nany single city. The darkly shadowed terms of poetic description used\nthroughout the chapter, set forth the completeness of her destruction, and\nare an echo from the Fall of Tyre in Ezekiel\u2019s prophecy (chs. 26\u201028).\n\n\n(6) A Call to Heaven and to the Church to Rejoice, Ch. 18:20\n\n\nBy a voice, evidently from above, the holy are bidden to rejoice, i. e.\nheaven with its inhabitants, and the saints or the church, and her two\nhighest orders of ministers in the past, the apostles and the prophets,\nare called upon to rejoice because God hath judged Babylon with the\njudgment which is her due for her treatment of the saints. This invitation\nto the \u201csaints, the apostles, and the prophets\u201d, to rejoice over the\njudgment of Babylon, which to that age doubtless meant Rome, is regarded\nby some as a possible allusion to the martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and\nPaul who met death under Nero.(529)\n\n\n(7) The Symbol of Her Irretrievable Ruin, Ch. 18:21\u201024\n\n\nA strong or mighty angel, taking up a stone like a great millstone, casts\nit into the sea as the sign of her total extinction, and rehearses the\nfate of the city in the ominous words of ancient prophecy, which are here\nenlarged and made more terrible (cf. Jer. 51:61\u201064). The symbolism used\nthroughout this chapter, it will be noted, is largely drawn from the Old\nTestament prophecies concerning the ancient cities of Babylon and Tyre.\n\u201cAnd in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that\nhave been slain upon the earth.\u201d Thus in terms that are as wide as the\nearth and as far\u2010reaching as history, is set forth the sin of the godless\nand unbelieving world in all ages, which concludes the pronouncement of\nthe judgment upon Babylon; and the judgment seems to belong properly in\nseven parts as a sign of its completeness.\n\n\nB The Triumph of the Redeemed, Ch. 19:1\u201010\n\n\nA hymn of praise (the Hallelujah Chorus), such as follows each crisis in\nthe Apocalypse, and forms a relief to the sombreness of the visions, is\nsung in heaven by a great voice of a great multitude as the sequel to the\nfall of the city and the lament of the world\u2014the seventh and last great\nchorus in the Revelation (see App\u2019x C): and then the marriage supper of\nthe Lamb is announced for the delight of the redeemed in heaven. The final\ntriumph, it will be seen, is here viewed as a whole, without distinction\nof parts such as are found in the succeeding section which treats of the\nlast things.\n\n\n1 The Choral Song of Hallelujahs, Ch. 19:1\u20108\n\n\nIn response to the heavenly summons to rejoice (ch. 18:20), a thrice\nrepeated note of victory, the Hebrew \u201cHallelujah\u201d, Praise ye Jehovah! is\nheard in heaven; first from the voice of a great multitude, who say a\nsecond time, \u201cHallelujah\u201d, and then from the four and twenty elders, the\nrepresentatives of the redeemed church, together with the four living\ncreatures, the representatives of all created life, who reply, \u201cAmen;\nHallelujah.\u201d After this again, in response to a message from the throne\n(v. 5), another \u201cHallelujah\u201d is heard from the voice of another multitude\n(v. 6\u20108), as the sound of many waters, the voice of those who are praising\nGod in full and joyful chorus because he has avenged the blood of his\nservants, and who are now rejoicing with exceeding gladness (v. 7) because\n\u201cthe marriage of the Lamb is come\u201d, i. e. the complete and final union of\nChrist with the redeemed church, for his wife, the church, hath made\nherself ready. The word \u201cHallelujah\u201d occurs four times in this passage,\nand is not found elsewhere in the New Testament: it should be noted, too,\nthat it is used here, as it is chiefly used in the Old Testament,(530) in\nconnection with the punishment of the wicked. The first voice in this\nchorus of hallelujahs (v. 1f) is apparently that of the great multitude of\nthe angelic host in heaven, which is responded to by the four and twenty\nelders, and the four living creatures; while the second voice (v. 6f) is\nthat of the multitude of the universal church who have been redeemed by\nthe blood of the Lamb. The description of the pure array of the Bride (v.\n8), which is the symbol of her righteousness and is in such marked\ncontrast with the clothing of the Harlot, may be an explanation added by\nthe Apostle, as indicated in the text of the Revelation given in the\npreceding part of this book by including the verse in a parenthesis,\nthough it was apparently regarded by the American Revisers as part of the\nwords of the redeemed church.\n\n\n2 The Blessedness of the Marriage Supper, Ch. 19:9\n\n\nJohn is directed by the angel to record a blessing upon those who are\nbidden to the marriage supper, i. e. who are invited to share in the\nnearer fellowship of the redeemed with Christ, and to partake of the rich\nand abundant spiritual food that awaits them in the new relations of the\nheavenly life\u2014a further symbol of the spiritual union of the church with\nChrist added to that of the bride and the marriage, setting forth the joys\nof the heavenly life under the familiar figure of a marriage feast, the\ngreat social event of the East, and the popular type of the highest\nenjoyment, as well as the public acknowledgement of the consummation of\nthe union. The marriage of the Lamb is put in vivid contrast with the\nfornication of the Harlot, in the usual method of the Apocalypse.\n\n\n3 Worship Refused by the Angel, Ch. 19:10\n\n\nThe Apostle is so overwhelmed by the impression of the vision that he\nfalls at the feet of the angel to worship him\u2014probably the interpreting\nangel of the opening verse of the book, though some think identical with\nthe vial\u2010angel of chapter seventeen; but the worship is refused,(531)\nbecause, as the angel declares, he is only a fellow\u2010servant with John, and\nshares in \u201cthe testimony of Jesus\u201d which \u201cis the spirit of prophecy\u201d. This\nsignificant phrase is characteristic of the Revelation,(532) and we find\nin it a key to the general interpretation, a principle to be applied\nthroughout, viz. that the mysteries of the Old Dispensation find their\nonly proper solution and fulfilment in the clearer teaching of the New.\n\u201cThe testimony of Jesus\u201d is the witness for the truth borne _by_ Christ in\nthe world, which gathers up into one and gives expression to the essential\nand animating thought of all prophecy. Others interpret the passage as\napplying to the witness borne _for_ Christ and the truth by his disciples\nin the world; and it is possible that both meanings are included, for if\nbroadly interpreted they both merge into one.(533)\n\n\nC The Last Things, Ch. 19:11\u201020:15\n\n\nA new phase of the vision of victory now opens, which presents the final\nculmination and crisis of judgment and redemption, a rapid preview of the\nclosing events of human history, a forecast of the triumph and completion\nof the gospel age. These events form a series of climaxes that are\nprogressive and catastrophic, and usher in the final consummation of God\u2019s\nworld\u2010plan of the ages, a feature that is prominent in all apocalyptic\nwritings.\n\nIt is important for us to note afresh at this point, what should be\napparent to our minds in the study of the book throughout, viz. that the\nelement of climax, which enters so largely into the thought of the\nRevelation, belongs essentially to the mood and temper of Apocalyptic; and\nwe should avoid emphasizing too much that which pertains chiefly to\nliterary form and spiritual mood, as though it were intended to set forth\nthe intimate nature of the divine method. Upon careful reflection it must\nbecome more and more apparent that the emphasis here laid upon the\nclimactic side of the divine way of working, was only intended to be in\nproportion to the apparent hopelessness of the historical outlook without\nsuch manifest and repeated divine interpositions for human help, and was\nnot intended to indicate that the chief effects to be wrought out will be\naccomplished by other than the method displayed in history, viz. by long\nperiods of quiet progress and patient waiting, broken now and then by\nshort and decisive periods of crisis. The apocalyptic writers followed the\ngeneral mode of conception prevalent in the Old Testament, according to\nwhich \u201cthe final condition of men and the world is regarded less as the\nperfect issue of a gradual ethical advancement ... than as the result of\nan interposition or chain of interpositions on the part of God\u201d,(534)\nwhich is only one side of the truth\u2014a view growing out of their idea of\nGod as the immediate author of all movements in nature and history, and\nfitting in well with the increased emphasis laid upon climax in\nApocalyptic. There is also a distinct foreshortening of the future which\nis very evident throughout this section, and this is a well known and\ncharacteristic feature of all prophecy. The extreme brevity with which are\ndescribed and grouped together so many great events of the far future that\nso deeply affect the Christian hope, serves to indicate that the chief aim\nof the Revelation does not consist in fully manifesting these events which\nlie hidden in the hand of God, but in preparing the church for what\nprecedes them, both of trial and of conflict. \u201cLike a flash of lightning\nin the darkness the vision lights up the whole line of God\u2019s purposes to\nthe end\u201d; but how much of the actual form and manner of the events it was\nthe divine purpose to disclose through this ideal and scenic presentation\nmust continue to be, pending the manifestation of the events themselves,\nto some extent at least, a matter of diverse opinion.\n\n\n1 The End of the Holy War, Ch. 19:11\u201021\n\n\nThis part of the vision sets forth the final victory over all the powers\nof this world which is eventually to be attained by the supreme power of\n\u201cThe Word of God\u201d, the ever conquering Christ, who is here described by\nthis transcendental name for our Lord which is a distinctive title with\nthe Apostle John.(535) Beginning with a view of the triumphant Word going\nforth to conquer as under the first seal (ch. 6:2), Christ appears in the\nopened heaven riding on a white horse; he is called \u201cFaithful and True\u201d,\nand in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes are a flame of\nfire, the type of purity and judgment; upon his head are many diadems, the\ncrowns of conquered nations; he hath a name written which no man knoweth\nbut himself,\u2014evidently the \u201cnew name\u201d of chapter three (v. 12) which John\ncannot interpret; and he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood, the\ntoken of his redemptive work. The armies of heaven, which apparently\ninclude the redeemed, such as have already entered there, follow him on\nwhite horses,(536) clothed in fine linen white and pure; out of his mouth\nproceedeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations,(537)\nfor he shall rule them then with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the\nwinepress of the wine of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty,\nthereby bringing punishment upon the evil. His divine right is clearly\nseen, for he hath on his garment and on his thigh (i. e. both on the\ngarment and on the thigh, or else on the garment covering the thigh), a\nname written, \u201cKING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS\u201d. And the Beast, and the\nkings of the earth, and their armies, are gathered together to make war\nagainst him that sat upon the horse and against his army, i. e. against\nChrist and his kingdom to attempt to overcome them. Thus with sublime\nimagery the vision leads up and on to the close of the great battle with\nthe world\u2010forces, which was briefly described before in chapter sixteen as\noccurring at Har\u2010Magedon; the war is the same, the battle between the\nsinful world and the hosts of God which is ever going on through the ages\nto final victory in the end. Now, by a further view, the Beast, and the\nFalse Prophet (or Second Beast) who misguides the people in spiritual\nthings, are seen to be taken, and they twain are cast alive into the lake\nof fire, while all their followers are slain with the sword of him that\nsat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth (v.\n15); and all the birds that fly in mid\u2010heaven are called by an angel\nstanding in the sun to feed upon their flesh, as in Ezekiel\u2019s prophecy of\nthe Judgment of Gog (ch. 39:17\u201022), a judgment exceedingly repulsive to\nthe Hebrew mind. The lake of fire is only a more fully developed form of\nthe Jewish conception of Gehenna as a furnace of fire (Mat. 13:42, and\n50). The symbolism here used may have been suggested to John\u2019s mind by the\nappearance of a sea or lake during the eruption of a volcano, a view not\nunfamiliar to those resident in Asia.(538) This lake in the Revelation is\nthe place of final punishment of the wicked, and is clearly distinguished\nfrom the pit of the abyss, the abode of Satan during the present world\u2010\nperiod. Thus is signified the triumphant overthrow of the World\u2010Power and\nof the World\u2010Religion as manifested in history. These together with the\nWorld\u2010City are now broken and destroyed, while only the World\u2010Lord, or\nSatan, remains to carry on the conflict, and the way is thereby prepared\nfor the great millennial victory.\n\nThis section is considered by many to refer to Christ\u2019s second coming, the\nParousia, and, if that view were established, it would serve to support\nthe opinion of those who hold that the second advent will be\npremillennial; but such an interpretation is beset with many difficulties\nand cannot be sustained by what is said in these verses. The description\ndoes not correspond with the account of Christ\u2019s coming again which is\ngiven in the Synoptic Gospels and the Epistles, nor with the passing\nforegleams of it in the preceding chapters, but rather with the\ndelineation of Christ\u2019s conflict with the world as it is set forth in this\nbook, which is depicted in its beginnings under the first seal where\nChrist goes forth conquering and to conquer, and which is now seen to pass\nthrough the thick of battle to the crowning of victory. For while the\nsecond coming is manifestly the one great objective event ever retained in\nthe background of the visions, overshadowing and interpenetrating every\npart of the Apocalypse, yet it is at no time definitely introduced or\nparticularly described; and the most accurate and impartial interpretation\nthroughout is that which regards both the time of its occurrence and the\nposition it occupies in relation to other events of the last days as\nnowhere revealed in the Apocalyptic vision. With the present author this\nview has grown through time from that of a possible solution of a much\nvexed question into a settled conviction of its correctness.(539) And it\nshould be seen, that with this section (ch. 19:11\u201021) in grave doubt, to\nsay the least, concerning its application to the advent, if indeed it\nshould not be regarded as entirely inapplicable, there is nothing\ndefinitely taught in the Revelation in regard to the time of Christ\u2019s\nsecond coming; for whatever opinion we may entertain concerning the time\nof that glorious event so dear to the Christian heart, we cannot regard\nthis passage as decisive in the matter unless we interpolate into it a\nmeaning which it does not necessarily contain.\n\n\n2 Satan Bound, Ch. 20:1\u20103a\n\n\nThe temporary destruction of Satan\u2019s power is here indicated by his being\nbound for a season; and this marks another advance in the triumphal march\nof events. An angel coming down from heaven with the key of the abyss, and\na great chain in his hand, lays hold upon the Dragon, the Old Serpent,\nSatan, and binds him for a thousand years, and then shuts him up in the\nabyss, his present dwelling\u2010place, from which he can now emerge at will\nduring the period of conflict, and seals it over him that his power may be\nrestrained until the end of that time. The binding of Satan indicates the\nlimiting of his authority over the nations, with the subsequent ushering\nin of the triumph of the gospel among men, when, according to the\nannouncement of the seventh trumpet, \u201cThe kingdom of the world is become\nthe kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ\u201d (ch. 11:15), a promise\npartially fulfilled at this stage, but awaiting its complete fulfilment in\nthe final consummation. The limiting of Satan\u2019s power is a preparatory\nstage to the events that follow, and precedes the first resurrection, as\nit also precedes the millennium.\n\n\n3 The First Resurrection, Ch. 20:4\u20106\n\n\nThe resurrection, which is the effective redemption of the body from\ndeath, that is necessary for complete victory over sin and for the full\nconsummation of man\u2019s life in eternity,(540) is at this point begun,(541)\nand is marked in the Revelation by two successive stages, the first\naccompanying the triumph of the messianic kingdom, and the second\npreparatory to the final judgment. These two parts of the resurrection are\nseparated in the vision by the whole millennial period. The first\nresurrection is special and compensative (scil. \u201cthe resurrection out of\nthe dead\u201d\u2014Gr. \u1f10\u03ba \u03bd\u03b5\u03ba\u03c1\u1ff6\u03bd\u2014Phil. 3:11), consisting of certain of the saints\nand martyrs who by reason of their enduring resistance of the forces of\nevil in their lives and deaths are adjudged worthy to attain unto this\nresurrection, viz. \u201cof them that had been beheaded for the testimony of\nJesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the Beast,\nneither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon\ntheir hand.\u201d The first resurrection which is evidently limited to this\nparticular class, and is compensative in character for evils endured,\nprecedes the second or general resurrection by a thousand years, or the\nwhole duration of the millennium, which is not a definite, numerical\nthousand years, but in accordance with the general use of numbers in the\nApocalypse is a period of vast but indefinite length. The cry of the\nmartyrs (ch. 6:9) has been heard, and they who have part in this\nresurrection shall live and reign with Christ throughout the whole\nmillennial era, i. e. shall share in his presence and glory as a reward\nfor their superior faithfulness, shall be with him where he is, evidently\nin heaven, for nothing is said of any new or different relation of Christ\nor of the saints to those who dwell upon the earth as now begun, or as\nentered upon at any time during this period. We are simply told that the\nredeemed saints shall live and reign with Christ, i. e. they shall enter\nupon the new and fuller life with Christ which follows the resurrection of\nthe body, and they shall share in the triumphant rulership of Christ in\nheaven. The main thought in the phrase \u201cwith Christ\u201d, it will be seen, is\nnot so much that of location, as of association with him in messianic\nrule.(542) The statement here made that \u201cthey shall be priests of God and\nof Christ\u201d (v. 6) evidently does not mean that they are to exercise the\nfunction of mediators for the rest of mankind during that intermediate\nperiod,\u2014for no such service in heaven is anywhere taught in Scripture\u2014but\nonly that they are granted familiar access to and fellowship with God and\nChrist such as the priests had who drew near under the old covenant; they\nstand in his presence as the priests of old stood in the temple and waited\nand served and worshipped.\n\n\n4 The Millennium, Ch. 20.: 2b, 3b, 4b, 5a, 6b and 7a\n\n\nThe millennium is the Latin equivalent of the Greek phrase \u03c7\u03af\u03bb\u03b9\u03b1 \u1f14\u03b9\u03b7 or a\nthousand years, which has now attained a permanent place in Christian\nthought. In the prophetic view of the apocalyptic vision this is the\ncrowning period of the church upon earth so long looked for and foretold,\nthe triumphant realization of messianic prophecy, the _d\u00e9nouement_ of\nredemptive history in the world, a time of rest and victory when evil\nshall be restrained though not extinguished, and righteousness shall rule\namong men. The millennial reign of the saints with Christ, while Satan is\nlimited in his sphere, as is indicated by his being bound with a great\nchain, is evidently intended to represent the period of the church\u2019s\ntriumph. The length of time implied by the millennium is a period of\nmultiple completeness which is represented by a thousand, the cube of ten,\nthe symbol of a duration that is of great but indefinite extent, covering\na long period of time, stretching to untold generations, during which the\nrule of Christ shall be triumphantly established upon the earth.(543) The\nchief thought in the thousand years is doubtless that of great and\nenduring victory. This period, as has been effectively said, \u201cmay well be\nof such an indefinite length as to lead to the salvation of unnumbered\nmultitudes\u2014multitudes so vast and countless that all the lost of all the\nages will be but an infinitesimal fraction in comparison.\u201d(544) Such a\nview serves to lighten in a measure the dark places of Scripture and\nhistory with a vision of blessing and hope, though it cannot be said to\ndisperse to any great extent that impenetrable shadow which hangs over\nGod\u2019s purpose in the world\u2019s long deep night of sin and death.\n\nNo other passage in the New Testament has taken a deeper or more permanent\nhold upon the minds of believing men than this pregnant prophecy of a\nmillennium, in which the thousand years is six times named in as many\nverses. Unfortunately interpreters have not been agreed concerning the\nmeaning of the passage; in fact no part of the Word of God has, perhaps,\nbeen so much in dispute as these verses in the Revelation. It may be worth\nwhile, therefore, to say that in the interpretation we should clearly\nrecognize upon the one hand that the promise of a millennium was intended\nto create in the minds of men a pervasive hope of ultimate divine triumph\nin the world; while upon the other hand we should avoid making this\nglorious promise the groundwork of purely human fancy. The blessings of\nthe millennial period here set forth evidently pertain both to the saints\nin glory and to the kingdom of God in this world. The particular nature of\nthe reign of the saints with Christ during the thousand years is not\nrevealed; but we know assuredly that Christ and his kingdom have prevailed\nupon the earth. The millennium manifestly presents a natural and complete\nantithesis to the long period in which the church suffered oppression\nunder domination of the world\u2010powers. The part allotted to the saints in\nthe triumph of the kingdom in which they live and reign with Christ, is\nset forth in terms of long prevailing and deeply cherished Jewish ideals.\nTo occupy \u201cthrones of judgment\u201d was part of the recognized hope of Israel\n(Ps. 122:5), and is clearly a human way of conceiving of superhuman\nrelations. That this hope is to be realized in the final spiritual\nsupremacy of God\u2019s children, specially promised to the twelve of the inner\ncircle (Mat. 19:28; and Lu. 22:30), and evidently to be shared in a\nparticular degree by all those who have part in the first resurrection,\nthough ultimately in some measure also by all the redeemed, does not admit\nof serious doubt, but the exact form in which it will be realized is not\nmade plain.\n\nAccording to the usual premillennial view the first resurrection is\ninterpreted as consisting of all believers who have died previous to that\ntime, and not of those only who share in it by reason of special service\nand testimony; and the millennial reign of those who rise from their\ngraves in this resurrection is held to be upon the earth, and is to be\nushered in by the second coming of Christ who will establish a new\ndispensation in which he will be personally manifest, and will rule in the\nworld, either from an earthly capital as Jerusalem, or from heaven in\nclose communication with the saints.(545) This view, it will be seen,\nrests upon Jewish conceptions, and derives its support from a sternly\nliteral interpretation of Old Testament prophecies. But, notwithstanding\nits natural attractiveness to the minds of men, it fails of adequate\nconfirmation in the text. Upon the other hand most of the symbolical\nschool interpret the first resurrection figuratively, as a resurrection to\nspiritual life, and regard the millennium as now in progress. The\nprevalence of this view seems to be largely due to the early influence of\nAugustine,(546) who identified the millennium with the period of the\nChristian church on earth, and held that for those who belong to the true\nchurch the first resurrection is past already, making it the equivalent of\nthe resurrection to spiritual life spoken of in John\u2019s Gospel (Jn.\n5:25),\u2014a passage which, though showing that a spiritual resurrection is a\ndistinct Johannine conception, does not serve to break the natural force\nof these words in their present connection. The usual interpretation of\nthe thousand years given by the symbolical school cannot be considered as\nsatisfactory,(547) viz. that the phrase expresses a quality, i. e.\ncompleteness, and not a period of time; and that the meaning of the phrase\n\u201cbound him for a thousand years\u201d is that Satan was completely bound. The\nsymbolical use of the number one thousand is evident, but that does not\ndeprive it of all quantitative value, it only affects its literal\nsignificance; and the denial that the word \u201cyears\u201d has any reference to\ntime is without proper exegetical support and must be rejected.(548)\nAccording to the current symbolical interpretation the entire passage (ch.\n20:1\u201010) is regarded as an episode which is descriptive of the complete\nsafety and spiritual deliverance of Christ\u2019s people throughout the whole\nperiod of the age\u2010long conflict;(549) and thus the millennium as a period\nof triumph and blessedness for the saints on earth, preceding and distinct\nfrom the final blessedness of the world to come, fades away into a figure\nof speech, while the triumph of the gospel is obscured. But this view\ncannot be sustained except by a sacrifice of the natural, if we may not\ncertainly say the correct exegesis; for the paragraph will not fit a\npurely figurative interpretation.(550) This view would dispose of the\nquestion of a pre\u2010 or post\u2010millennial coming by denying that there is any\nmillennium, in the historic sense of the term, taught in the Revelation.\nBut the expedient is a fallacious one, if John spoke as a prophet by the\ninspiration of the Spirit, for his words incorporated the thought of his\ntime in which the millennium had a definite meaning; and that he foresaw\nand described it as such is fairly evident, though he manifestly modified\nits extravagances. The idea of a triumphal period of the Messiah\u2019s reign\nis too deeply inwrought in the Apocalyptic literature which preceded the\npresent Apocalypse to be put aside lightly as a symbol of\ncompleteness.(551) The duration of this time was a frequent and favorite\nsubject of Jewish speculation;(552) and according to the general laws of\nlanguage, the phrase used in the text, \u201ca thousand years\u201d, necessarily\ncarries with it the conception of a period of time, but in accordance with\nthe usage of the author, it loses its definite numerical significance and\nindicates a period of long but unmeasured duration; it becomes the symbol\nof a period that is complete.\n\nIt will be recognized by the attentive student of the Word of God that\nthis passage and its connections form the _crux interpretum_ of the whole\nbook of Revelation; and it is well, perhaps, not to speak with too much\npositiveness on a subject so differently understood by many of the most\neminent scholars and interpreters. The view presented above seems to be\nthe most natural meaning that can be given to the words of the vision, and\nseems also to accord more fully than any other with the many promises of\nGod concerning the outcome of all that great and progressive movement\namong men which we call the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth. For without\nsuch a period of victory, the whole evolutionary movement in human life\nand history, which so manifestly marks the purpose of God and the plan of\nredemption, would somehow seem to fail of any proper consummation; while\nin this view the millennium, marking the triumph of the gospel, would\nvindicate the present method of history and redemption, just as the\npremillennial view would abandon it and introduce a different order.\nIndeed, it may be well here to say, what should be clearly seen by every\nstudent of the Revelation, that the premillennial view introduces\npractically three dispensations into the plan of redemption, viz. the\nfirst, that of Moses which measurably failed; the second, that of Christ\nwhich is also to fail of complete success; and the third, that of the Holy\nSpirit which shall absolutely triumph. Whether, indeed, such a view is\njustified by what the Gospels teach and the Epistles indicate, is a\nquestion that each interpreter of Scripture must determine for himself;\nthough it must be said that the large majority of Christians in all ages\nhave not so understood the message of the Word. And it would certainly be\nremarkable if Christ, who was so wonderful a teacher, had intended to\npredict a premillennial coming to his own, and yet left it in such an\nindefinite form that the majority of earnest Christians would forever fail\nto apprehend it. But, in any case, to give up the expectation of the final\nsupremacy of the gospel in the world, whether we look for it to be\nattained before or after the coming of the Lord, through the method of\nhistory or contrary to it, is to empty of its richest content the\nChristian hope for the world of men, and to contradict the deepest longing\nof the pious heart.(553)\n\n\n5 Satan Loosed Again and Overthrown, Ch. 20:3c, and 7\u201010\n\n\nA renewal of Satan\u2019s activity is permitted by divine authority, as is\nindicated by his being loosed again out of his prison, and seems to be of\nthe nature of a reaction in favor of evil, a sequence for which we are\nscarcely prepared at this juncture, after the millennial period of\nChristian ascendancy. We find described in these verses a recrudescence of\norganized opposition to Christ and his kingdom, indicated by Satan coming\nforth again out of the abyss, according to the prevailing method of the\nApocalypse by which evil comes in periodic onsets. In the elucidation of\nthe passage most interpreters, who regard the millennium as representing\nthe triumphal period of Christ\u2019s kingdom upon earth, consider this\nincident, together with Satan\u2019s previous binding without the complete\ndestruction of his power until the end when he is cast into the lake of\nfire, as showing conclusively that opposition to Christ has only been\nsubdued during the millennial period but not extinguished, so that like a\nsmouldering fire it bursts forth into flame again before the end.(554) It\ncan scarcely be denied that such is the underlying assumption of the\npassage, as is generally conceded, though the usual symbolist view,\nrelying upon this, minimizes the character of the millennial triumph, and\nregards the opposition to Christ as being subdued only so far as believers\nare concerned, toward whom Satan is then completely bound, the millennium\nand the conflict going on simultaneously\u2014a view that is not adequately\nsustained by the text. On the other hand the futurist view magnifies the\nnature of the millennial triumph, and leaves no reasonable room for this\nfinal outburst of sin; for the millennium with Christ dwelling among his\npeople upon earth is heaven already begun, and the Scriptures nowhere\nteach either the continuance of evil after Christ\u2019s second coming, or the\nexistence of an interval between Christ\u2019s coming and the judgment. The\ninterpretation here given is accepted by many modern scholars and follows\na median line, regarding the millennium as a period of relative triumph\nfollowed by a fresh outbreak of sin, as seems to be indicated in this\npassage. If we compare these verses with that strange apocalyptic passage\nin Paul\u2019s Second Epistle to the Thessalonians (II Thess. 2:3f.), we find\nthat he there predicts a falling away from the faith and the coming of the\nMan of Sin before the advent, which seems to refer in the figurative\nlanguage of Apocalyptic to this same period of final struggle preceding\nthe end. And the Man of Sin there foretold may perhaps be regarded as an\nideal personification of the sin of man then prevailing, \u201cwhom the Lord\nshall consume with the spirit of his mouth\u201d. This last struggle is,\nhowever, only for a little time (v. 3), i. e. for a season that is short\nin comparison with the millennial period, and is apparently permitted in\norder to bring about the triumphal termination of the conflict that Satan\nmay be completely and forever overthrown and flung into the lake of fire\n(v. 10), the final place of punishment, together with the Beast and the\nFalse Prophet whose destruction has been already described.\n\nThough the general idea of the paragraph is relatively plain, the\nparticular meaning of the prediction is involved in much obscurity, viz.\nthat of a war in which Satan deceives the nations of the earth, Gog and\nMagog,(555) whose number is as the sand of the sea, and who go up under\nhis leadership to compass the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but\nwho are destroyed by divine intervention through fire from heaven. The\ndescription is evidently symbolic, and Gog and Magog were doubtless not\nintended to be identified as particular nations; nor can the fulfilment be\nliterally understood. Like many of the prophecies of the past it is\nsurrounded by a haze of indefiniteness that prevents its full\ninterpretation until its meaning is revealed by the course of events. The\nsource of the symbolism is found in the Old Testament invasion of Gog, a\npassage in Ezekiel (ch. 38\u201039), a prophetic scene of war, which becomes\nhere the formal type of the last struggle between the hosts of sin and\nthose of righteousness, and seems to refer to some new, national, and\nworld\u2010wide form of opposition to Christ and his kingdom in which all the\nearth\u2010forces of evil are gathered together for their extinction\u2014a final\nstage of the conflict necessary for the completeness of the victory, which\nis to be postmillennial, and in which all the powers of evil shall be\nspeedily and finally overthrown.(556) It may also be that the view of\nbattle here given is intended to be partly retrospective in its purpose,\nand to link this struggle with the age\u2010long conflict which culminates when\nthe Beast and the False Prophet are taken, giving another view of Har\u2010\nMagedon in which now, after a period of quiescence, Satan\u2019s overthrow\nforms the final part.\n\n\n6 The Second Resurrection, Ch. 20:11\u201012a, and 13a\n\n\nThis is the final and complete resurrection which occurs at the end of the\nworld, and comprises all those, whether believers or not, who failed to\nparticipate in the first resurrection. The completeness of this\nresurrection is specially emphasized. Even the sea gave up the bodies of\nthe dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the souls of the\ndead that were in them (v. 13a), in preparation for the judgment. The\ndescription here given of the second or general resurrection, it will be\nseen, presents the ordinary view of Scripture, while that of the first\nresurrection introduces a new and different conception, viz. that of a\nspecial resurrection. The main distinction between the two resurrections\nmay be regarded as chiefly one of order rather than time, though the\nprecedence of the first in point of time is also included. In each case a\nresurrection of the body is meant, but the first is partial in extent,\nconsisting of a particular class, while the second is universal,\ncomprising all classes.(557) The paragraph, when thus interpreted, affords\na clearer view of the resurrection as a whole, showing its proper order or\nsequence, and separating into two main parts that which is mostly regarded\nin the New Testament in its entirety as a single event occurring at the\nlast day. In fact the doctrine of two resurrections taught in this\npassage, and the clearness with which the resurrection of the wicked for\njudgment is set forth, together constitute the most notable contribution\nof the Apocalypse to the eschatology of the New Testament;(558) for\n\u201cwhatever may be the difficulties involved, and however they may be\nsolved, we must recognize that John here predicts an anticipative and\nlimited resurrection of the same character as the general resurrection\nwhich is to follow.\u201d(559) This was undoubtedly the thought presented to\nJohn\u2019s mind in the vision, whether we attach any didactive significance to\nit or not, and it ought not to be overlooked in our interpretation.\n\nAt this point it may be not amiss to say, what must be apparent to every\ncareful student of Scripture, that it was not the divine purpose in the\nbook of Revelation to reveal the intimate nature or detail of the great\nevents which lie at the close of man\u2019s history on the earth; but rather to\ngive a general outline of the divine order, which would serve to\ninvigorate our faith and stimulate our hope in the onward path of\nChristian duty. And while it is for the most part fruitless to inquire\nparticularly concerning that which is not clearly revealed, at the same\ntime the general bearing of this passage should not be allowed to escape\nour attention, for it is one of the most significant in the book of\nRevelation, and we may well pause a moment to consider its proper meaning.\nWe have here, apparently,\u2014if one may offer an opinion on so obscure a\nsubject,\u2014a hint that the resurrection which has just been described as\noccurring in two periods, first and second, is to be regarded as a\n_process_ rather than as an _event_ that is single and separate in itself,\none which in its entirety covers a long period of time, and is to be\naccomplished in progressive stages in which the righteous share first\naccording to their relative worth\u2014a process which is apparently marked by\ntwo principal periods that are specially in mind in the description before\nus. In the light of this view it may be well to recall some of the events\nin the Scripture record which seem to support it. The translation of Enoch\nand Elijah in the Old Testament, the equivalent of an immediate\nresurrection, which anticipated the victory of Christ over death, would\notherwise be an unexplained anomaly. But according to this interpretation\nit forms a part of the divine order; their resurrection was not anomalous;\nit was only one step in the ever progressive plan of the ages. The\nmysterious hiding, too, of Moses\u2019 grave in the valley of the land of Moab,\nfinds an adequate explanation if he was subsequently translated when the\ndivine purpose in his burial was accomplished\u2014the burial vindicating the\ndivine honor, while his resurrection was immediate and triumphant. The\nrecord, also, in the closing chapter of Daniel (Dan. 12:1\u20103) though\nobscure, points to a stage in the resurrection in which not all but many\nshall rise, and includes as well those who rise to shame and everlasting\ncontempt, though no indication of the time when this will occur is given\nby the prophet. But more particularly in Matthew\u2019s account of the\ncrucifixion of our Lord (Mat. 27:52\u20103), we find that his death was\nfollowed not only by the rending of the veil in the temple, indicating the\ndeparture of the divine glory, but that \u201cthe tombs were opened, and many\nbodies of the saints which had fallen asleep were raised, and coming forth\nout of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city\nand appeared unto many.\u201d It is a weak exegesis that interprets their\nresurrection as merely spectral, or as only temporary and transient, even\nthough it were for the purpose of witnessing to the divinity of our Lord.\nThe natural meaning is that they arose as a part of the victory of Christ,\nand were ready to enter with him into the rest that remaineth for the\npeople of God. These passages all seem to point to a progressive\nresurrection that is to be accomplished in successive stages, and they\ncannot well be otherwise interpreted except by indirection. It is true\nthat the subject is only incidentally touched upon in the New Testament,\nyet it seems to be here clearly implied that precedence in resurrection is\ndivinely accorded to those who are prepared for it, as a part of the\nreward of righteousness, and that this belongs to the divine order.(560)\nBeyond this we cannot safely go, for it is not well to be too confident in\nmaintaining any view that depends so largely upon the interpretation of\nsingle passages, even though the inference, as in this case, seems to be\nnatural and conclusive.\n\n\n7 The Last Judgment, Ch. 20:11\u201015\n\n\nThe final divine inquiry into the sum and fruitage of each and every life,\nwhich is retributive in its purpose, is entered into at the end of the\nworld when all the dead, small and great, stand before God to be judged,\nafter the resurrection is complete.(561) The great judgment throne in the\nvision is white, the symbol of purity, and he that sat upon it is not\nnamed, but throughout the book the judge is the Father as distinguished\nfrom the Son. The two principles of the judgment given in this graphic\naccount, which is a reflection of the Vision of Judgment in the prophecy\nof Daniel (Dan. 7 and 12), are _first_ \u201caccording to their works\u201d which\nare written in the books of record that are now open; and _second_\naccording to the divine purpose which is \u201cwritten in the book of life\u201d.\nThe \u201cbook of life\u201d was originally the name used for the roll of Jewish\ncitizens kept from at least the ninth century before Christ (cf. Ezr.\n2:62; Neh. 7:5, 64; and 12:22, 23) from which the names of the dead were\nerased, that is now applied to the Lamb\u2019s book of life (ch. 21:27), the\nroll of living citizens of the New Jerusalem.(562) Those not found in the\nbook of life are cast into the lake of fire together with death and Hades,\nboth of which are now merged into this final and fitting retribution for\nsin, i. e. physical death as experienced by men in this world, and Hades\nthe abode of the dead during the intermediate state, are both abolished as\ntemporary conditions in preparation for the new heaven and the new earth\nof the righteous, and are succeeded by the lake of fire for the sinful.\nThis is the last event of time, the issue of the earthly life, the\nEnd(563) foretold by prophecy, the crisis that marks the transition to\neternity, the closing scene in the great drama of human history. The view\nnow passes at once from this scene of terror and judgment to the sublime\nvision of joy and triumph in the far and fadeless glory beyond.\n\n\n\nVII The Vision of the New Jerusalem (A Vision of Triumph). Ch. 21:1\u201022:5\n\n\nThe vision of the New Jerusalem is a crowning picture of redemption\nconsummated, a vision of triumph and peace after the conflict is over and\nthe victory won, portraying the eternal bliss of the redeemed in the\nimmediate presence of God, whose glory is realized in the intimate\nfellowship and ultimate well\u2010being of his creatures that have been finally\nrecovered from sin and fully confirmed in righteousness. In this closing\nvision of the Revelation we reach the goal of Christian hope in the future\nlife with God. Some future\u2010historical interpreters have, however, regarded\nthis section as describing the millennial glory upon earth, preceding the\nfinal consummation of all things; but the view is involved in so many\ndifficulties that relatively few have accepted it. On the contrary the\nChristian mind of all ages has instinctively found in the vision a\nperspective view of the heavenly glory, an opinion that it may be\nconfidently said is not a mistaken one.(564) The New Jerusalem presents\nthe resultant condition of victory following the long struggle against\nsin, \u201cthe world to come\u201d already ushered in, which lies beyond the\nmillennium and the resurrection. At this point it may be well to call\nattention to the fact that the millennium in Hebrew thought is the\nculmination of \u201cthe _age_ to come\u201d, i. e. the age which is the triumphing\nperiod of the Messiah upon earth; whereas the New Jerusalem is the\nrealization of \u201cthe _world_ to come\u201d, i. e. of the world that is future\nand eternal. These ideas were quite distinct in Jewish thought, and they\nought also to be distinct with us. The wonderful account of the new heaven\nand the new earth speaks of other conditions than those of the present\ntime; and the view of the glorious city in this closing vision (ch.\n21:2\u201022:5) is aptly divisible into eight parts, the symbol of culmination,\nor of a new life or period begun, the division indicated in the comments\nthat follow.\n\n\n1 The New Heaven and the New Earth, Ch. 21:1\n\n\nIn this verse we are presented with a view of the new creation which\nenvirons the New Jerusalem, the sign of the changed and exalted conditions\nof future existence which await those that are Christ\u2019s, the creation\nredeemed as well as the creature, \u201cfor the first heaven and the first\nearth are passed away\u201d, and all things have become new.(565) This idea,\nwhich coincides with that of Paul in the Epistle to the Romans (ch.\n8:19\u201023), is not, however, further developed, but the view turns at once\nto the heavenly city, for the vision has its proper center in the city,\nand is designed to present a view of redeemed humanity in the presence of\nGod to which that of the redeemed creation is merely incidental.\n\n\n2 The Holy City, Ch. 21:2\u201022:5\n\n\nHeaven, its joys and its inhabitants, is described under the type of a\ncity, the New Jerusalem, the counterpart of the Old whose warfare has been\naccomplished, a civic and social dwelling\u2010place that is new, holy, and\nglorious, an ideally perfect city in the midst of an ideally perfect\nworld;(566) the symbol of the glorious conditions of the redeemed and\npurified church in the midst of the new life of eternity, and the\nantithesis of Babylon, the type of the old sinful and polluted world. The\ndescription is full of echoes from the Isaian rhapsody of Zion Redeemed\n(Isa. 54, 60, and 65), and Ezekiel\u2019s vision of Jerusalem Restored (Ezek.\n40 and 48).(567)\n\n\n(1) The Tabernacle of God with Men, Ch. 21:3\u20104\n\n\nThe city in its entirety becomes the antitype of the tabernacle of Israel,\nespecially of the inner sanctuary or holy of holies, where God forever\ndwells with men, and they shall be his peoples,(568) and sorrow, pain, and\ndeath shall be no more, for the former things are passed away. This is\nauthoritatively declared by a voice out of the throne, a divine message,\npossibly given by one of the Angels of the Presence, as a comforting and\nassuring promise of the divine nearness and guardianship in the future\nlife of God\u2019s people.\n\n\n(2) The Bride, the Lamb\u2019s Wife, Ch. 21:2, 9\u201010\n\n\nThe city, the dwelling\u2010place of the redeemed, and the symbol of the new\nconditions of the glorified church in the midst of eternity, becomes now\nby metonymy the symbol of the redeemed church herself, the Bride of\nChrist, the inhabitants being thought of to the exclusion of all else. The\ngreat city, the holy Jerusalem, is seen coming down out of heaven from\nGod,(569) as a bride adorned for her husband on her marriage day,\u2014a figure\nof the intimate and tender relation of Christ with his people in the final\nstate of the blessed. The city in these verses (9\u201010) is manifestly the\nsymbol of the church that dwells within it; but the view that makes the\nNew Jerusalem the symbol solely of the redeemed church, not only here but\nthroughout the entire passage,(570) fails to realize the flexibility of\nprophetic usage. The idea of place and local surroundings in the general\ndescription of the city undoubtedly stands first in the Apocalyptist\u2019s\nthought, and would seldom be questioned by the ordinary reader, though it\nincludes also the inhabitants as well, and may be used for the inhabitants\nalone, as is done in this part of the passage, without invalidating the\ngeneral meaning. In the ninth verse, with the announcement of the angel,\n\u201cCome hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb\u201d, the\naccount in verse second is resumed, and is wrought out in detail. One of\nthe vial\u2010angels carries John away in the Spirit into a mountain great and\nhigh that he may see the vision more fully, an indication of its\nimportance.\n\n\n(3) The City of New Things, Ch. 21:5\u20108\n\n\nAll things are declared new and changed, and to be the inheritance of\nthose that shall overcome,(571) to whom also the fulness of divine sonship\nis awarded; but the craven and unbelieving, the sinful and impure, shall\nbe cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. These words of\nauthority, promise, and threatening, are spoken by him who sitteth on the\nthrone, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who now\nhimself, when all is fulfilled, speaks openly instead of through those\nmysterious voices that have hitherto issued from out the throne and\ntemple, another token of the nearer communion of the saints with God in\nthe new heaven and the new earth.(572) And John is again commanded to\nwrite, for the words spoken are \u201cfaithful and true\u201d, and \u201cthey are come to\npass\u201d, i. e. all God\u2019s promises and threatenings have been fulfilled, even\nthe things of the new creation have already come into being, and the\nmystery of God is ended, according to the prediction of the angel with the\nbook (ch. 10:7), i. e. the mystery of the divine purpose in the great work\nof creation and redemption has now been fully made known.\n\n\n(4) The City of Glory(573), Ch. 21:11\u201021\n\n\n\u201cHaving the glory of God\u201d, i. e. the glory of his abiding presence, which\nis reflected in the glory of gate and wall and street, yet the city is\ndescribed for our better understanding in terms of the earthly creation.\nIts light is like unto a stone most precious, and the materials of its\nstructure are most costly; the building of the wall is of jasper, the city\nand the street of pure gold, and the foundations of the wall adorned with\nall manner of precious stones,(574) while the several gates are each of a\nsingle pearl,\u2014the mingled symbols of brilliancy, glory, costliness, and\nbeauty. The city lies foursquare, a perfect figure, the distinctive number\nof the earthly creation still, though new, with twelve foundations, gates,\nand angels, the church number, reflecting the number of the tribes of\nIsrael and of the apostles of the Lamb, and with walls one hundred and\nforty\u2010four cubits high, the square of the church number, and twelve\nthousand furlongs in length on each of the four sides,(575) the church\nnumber multiplied by a thousand, and the number of the sealed in each\ntribe (ch. 7:5f.),\u2014pertinent symbols, all of these, of the perfect home of\nthe redeemed, as well as of the symmetry of the perfect church. The city\nis further described as a perfect cube like the holy of holies in the\nsanctuary, the length and breadth and the height of it being equal (v. 16)\nwhich perhaps means that in the height is included the eminence on which\nit stands, though others think that there is an intentional absence of all\nverisimilitude.(576) The symbolical meaning of the cubical dimensions is\nevidently that of a symmetrical and ideal perfection which is proportional\nin all its parts, and like to the holy of holies in the earthly\ntemple.(577) The circuit of the walls is forty\u2010eight thousand stadia, i.\ne. four times twelve thousand furlongs or stadia, and seems to be a\ndesigned reference to the city of Babylon, the greatest city of the\nancient world, the circuit of which was four hundred and eighty stadia, i.\ne. four times one hundred and twenty furlongs or stadia, while that of the\nNew Jerusalem is greater a hundredfold, which is evidently the language of\nsymbolism.(578) The city which is first seen from afar, coming down out of\nheaven (v. 11\u201014), is afterward measured, and its glories pointed out by\nthe angel (see the divisions indicated by paragraphs in the text of the\nRevelation given in the first part of the volume).\n\n\n(5) The City of Many Nations, Ch. 21:24, and 26\n\n\nThe nations walk amidst the light thereof, and the kings of the earth\nbring their glory into it, a description which seems to reflect the\nthought of a new earth that will be peopled as well as the holy city, as\nimplied in the first verse of the chapter, and perhaps designed to show\nthe cosmopolitan character of the New Jerusalem.\n\n\n(6) The City of Exclusions, Ch. 21:1, 4, 22, 23, 25, 27; and 22:3, 5\n\n\nThe city has no more sea, i. e. the old, earthly, turbulent sea of\nconflict and unrest (v. 1); no more death, neither mourning, crying, nor\npain any more (v. 4); no separate temple or inner sanctuary of partial\naccess to God, for the city is all temple, and God forever dwells among\nhis people (v. 22); no sun, nor moon, nor night, for the Lamb is the light\nthereof, his spiritual light superseding the physical (v. 23, 25, and ch.\n22:5); no shut gates of defence or hindrance, for there is no longer\neither night or enemy abroad (v. 25); and no more curse, nor any unholy to\nrenew the conflict, nor anything unclean or that maketh an abomination and\na lie, for Christ is throned as victor (v. 27, and ch. 22:3). In this\nfinal view of heaven not only has the temple disappeared, but also the\nelders, and the four living creatures, and all that accessory symbolism of\nthe earlier visions which was appropriate to the church\u2010historic period.\nThese are no longer needed, for the conditions which they served to\nsymbolize have passed away. Even the angels are no longer seen within, for\nthis is a vision of redeemed men who look upon the face of their Redeemer.\n\n\n(7) The City of Life, Ch. 22:1\u20102\n\n\nAs the antidote of death the eternal city is seen to possess a \u201criver of\nwater of life\u201d that flows out from the throne of God and of the Lamb in\nthe midst of the street thereof, the source of enduring life to all the\nholy (Ps. 46:4\u20105). The city is, also, seen to have the \u201ctree of\nlife\u201d,(579) the seal of God\u2019s first covenant in Eden (Gen. 2:9; 3:22),\nbearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and with\nleaves for the healing of the nations, which has at last wrought its\nbeneficent results and forever removed the curse. The word tree is in the\nsingular, but the context shows that it is to be understood generically,\ni. e. a tree of life which is found on this side of the river and on that,\nor trees of life growing by the river\u2010side.(580) We notice, also, that the\nriver, which in the earthly Paradise was parted and became four heads when\ntraced to its source, is now replaced by a single river of water of life\nin the heavenly; and the Scripture story of man, viewed from its beginning\nto its close, is seen to finally lead up from the lost Paradise of\ncreation to the Paradise regained by redemption. And in that city forever\ndwell only those \u201cthat are written in the Lamb\u2019s book of life\u201d.\n\n\n(8) The City of God, Ch. 22:3\u20105\n\n\nThe crowning glory of the holy city is the abiding presence of Jehovah,\nfor the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein, and the redeemed\nshall see his face(581) in the beatific vision, and his name shall be upon\ntheir foreheads, and they shall reign for ever and ever. Then and there\nman redeemed, who has so long been separated from the face of God by the\nruinous results of sin, shall be at last restored to the fulness of the\ndivine presence to abide throughout eternity.(582) Whether, indeed, God in\nhis essential being can ever be directly apprehended by the finite spirit,\nis a question that with our present light we cannot definitely determine.\nIt may well be in eternity as in time, there as well as here, that for us\nto see the Son is to see the Father, and that the beatific vision for\nwhich men have so often longed and hoped and prayed in the past, is to be\nrealized in a way quite different from the common thought, by the blessed\nvision of the glorified and exalted Christ in the fadeless life of the\nperfected kingdom of God in heaven. The name which shall be upon the\nforeheads of the redeemed is evidently the \u201cnew name\u201d of chapter three (v.\n12) which sums up in itself all the fulness of the future revelation of\nGod to the glorified, the transcendental and ineffable name to men upon\nearth \u201cwhich no one knoweth but he that receiveth it\u201d, i. e. in the future\nlife of the heavenly kingdom.\n\nIt is surely worthy of our attention here to note in closing, how all\nGod\u2019s revelations of himself have not only tended to grow in intensity and\nclearness, but also to center in the name by which he is made known.\nBeginning with the announcement of his sacred name Jehovah, as distinct\nfrom his former name Elohim, in connection with the great events of\nIsrael\u2019s redemptive history, there is a manifest movement in the\nhistorical self\u2010revelation of God to men that is marked by progressive\nsteps which lead on through all the promise and mystery of the incarnate\nChrist to this final revelation of himself, lying beyond history, that\nshall be made to the redeemed under the \u201cnew name\u201d when redemption is\ncomplete. He who was first promised to men, to be born \u201cof the seed of the\nwoman\u201d, and \u201cof the seed of Abraham\u201d, and was afterward more clearly\nrevealed to Israel as \u201cthe son of David\u201d, \u201cthe servant of Jehovah\u201d,\n\u201cImmanuel\u201d, \u201cthe Son of Man\u201d, and \u201cthe Messiah\u201d, and who was made known to\nmen in his incarnation as \u201cJesus\u201d, \u201cthe Christ\u201d, and \u201cour Lord\u201d, was\nfinally recognized by the church under his full redemptive title as \u201cthe\nLord Jesus Christ\u201d, by which name he shall be known throughout all the\ncenturies to the end of time. But the vision of the city of God reaches\nfar beyond this, and tells of his name to be then written upon the\nforeheads of the redeemed, manifestly his \u201cown new name\u201d (ch. 3:12) that\nis to be revealed to the glorified when redemption is complete, which\nstands for the full, final, and complete revelation of God in Christ in\nthe new relations of the great future life in heaven.\n\nThus, with the redeemed enthroned in power, and dwelling in the unveiled\npresence of God revealed, there is completely fulfilled the ultimate\ndivine purpose of man\u2019s creation and redemption. This, in John\u2019s view, is\nthe consummation of all things, that\n\n\n \u201cOne far\u2010off divine event,\n To which the whole creation moves.\u201d\n\n\nThe transition to the closing part of the book is now made, but it is not\nvery definitely marked, and in the division into chapters it was\noverlooked entirely, for the twenty\u2010second chapter should begin at this\npoint. Some would make the break at the close of verse seven, but it more\nproperly belongs at the close of verse five, where the description of the\nNew Jerusalem ends.\n\n\n\n\nIII THE EPILOGUE, Ch. 22:6\u201021\n\n\nThe epilogue consists of a recapitulation of the authority and contents of\nthe book, instructions for its use, and an enforcement of its lessons. It\nis a brief but impressive conclusion, giving the final words of the angel,\nwith the promise of Christ to the victors, and the closing testimony of\nJohn.\n\n\n\nA The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ, Ch. 22:6\u201016\n\n\nThese words should be regarded as spoken for Christ, and the promise to\nthe victors as made in his name, by the angel that he sent to testify\nthese things unto John, the interpreting angel of chapter one (v. 1), who\nnow looks back over the entire revelation that has been given, returning\nfrom the series of visions revealing the future to the standpoint of the\nintroductory vision.(583)\n\n\n1 The Message Reaffirmed, Ch. 22:6\u20109\n\n\nThe importance of the message is recognized and its trustworthiness\nemphasized by repeated affirmation. An effort is thereby made to impress\nindelibly its lessons upon the heart of the church.\n\n\n(1) The Witness of the Angel, Ch. 22:6\u20107\n\n\nThe sayings of the book are declared to be true and faithful, and of\ndivine authority; the speedy coming of Christ is announced,(584) i. e.\n\u201cquickly\u201d in the divine view which covers all eternity, but not to be\nunderstood as at once or soon from the ordinary or human point of view;\nand a blessing is pronounced upon those who keep the words of the prophecy\nof this book in anticipation of their complete fulfilment.\n\n\n(2) The Witness Confirmed by John, Ch. 22:8a\n\n\nTo the declaration of the angel is added the direct testimony of John that\nhe saw and heard these things, a parenthetical remark, strengthening the\nstatement of the angel and confirming the words of the book.\n\n\n(3) Worship from John again Refused, Ch. 22:8b\u20109\n\n\nThe form and presence and message of the angel overwhelm John with awe,\nand he tenders his worship; but the angel, as before (ch. 19:10),\nacknowledges himself a fellow\u2010servant with John, and bids the Apostle\nworship God\u2014probably a protest against angel worship which may already\nhave begun.\n\n\n2 The Book Not to be Sealed, Ch. 22:10\u201011\n\n\nThe words of the prophecy are not to be sealed, i. e. they are not to be\nkept secret, evidently not even their deeper meaning, so far as it was\nknown, was to be veiled in secrecy, but was to be openly communicated to\nthe churches, for the time of inevitable reward is declared to be at hand\n(v. 10\u201011) both for the righteous and the wicked, when the present\nopportunity shall be ended.(585) The opposite direction, it will be\nnoticed, was given concerning the Book of Daniel (ch. 12:4, 9), which was\ncommanded to be \u201cshut up and sealed till the time of the end\u201d, because as\nhad been previously explained, \u201cit belongeth to many days to come\u201d (Dan.\n8:26). But this book is to be given at once to men, an evident indication\nthat its contents were not regarded as secret or veiled, but were intended\nto be read and understood by all.\n\n\n3 The Promise of Christ to the Victors, Ch. 22:12\u201016\n\n\n\u201cBehold, I come quickly;(586) and my reward is with me,\u201d is the gracious\npromise of recompense to be given to the faithful, for he will \u201crender to\neach man according as his work is\u201d\u2014a fundamental principle of the final\njudgment that is everywhere emphasized throughout the book. \u201cI am the\nAlpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End\u201d,\nis a recapitulation of these three comprehensive titles descriptive of\nChrist which have hitherto been used separately (chs. 1:8, 17; 2:8; 21:6),\nbut are now massed together in impressive solemnity. It is the equivalent\nof saying, \u201cI am the Source, and through me will be the Consummation, of\nall that which is and was and shall be the ages through\u201d\u2014an affirmation of\nabsolute supremacy in the universe.(587) The declaration of the next verse\n(v. 14), \u201cBlessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the\nright _to come_ to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into\nthe city\u201d, is the seventh and last of the wonderful Benedictions of the\nbook (see App\u2019x C). In contrast with these that are blessed, are all the\nwicked of every class who are left without, including \u201cevery one that\nloveth and maketh a lie\u201d. He who sent his angel to testify to these things\nis Jesus (v. 16), once born of the family of David, the bright and morning\nstar, the glorious harbinger of the day of redemption.(588) The words are\nin the form of direct address, and are undoubtedly from Christ himself,\nthough as there is no apparent indication of a change of speaker from\nverse six, where the voice is clearly that of the angel, we may regard\nthem either as given by the angel who repeats what Christ has said, or as\npersonally spoken by Christ himself.(589) It is well for us at this point\nto remember the interesting fact, generally known by students of the Greek\nTestament, that in verse sixteen, \u201cat the word \u2018David\u2019, the manuscript 1,\nfrom which Erasmus compiled the Textus Receptus, ends. In order to supply\nthe remainder, which is deficient, Erasmus retranslated the Vulgate\nVersion into Greek. The Greek, therefore, of the Textus Receptus from this\npoint onwards is the Greek of Erasmus\u201d,(590) and hence lacks the authority\nof the original text.\n\n\n\nB The Closing Testimony of John, Ch. 22:17\u201020\n\n\nThese verses contain the final witness, warning, and exhortation of the\nApostle, which is given to the churches before the book is closed,\nconcerning all the things which are written therein.\n\n\n1 A Last Universal Invitation of Grace, Ch. 22:17\n\n\n\u201cCome!\u201d \u201cCome!\u201d \u201cCome!\u201d A thrice repeated call to all men to come to\nChrist for the free gift of life eternal, is fervently uttered before the\nbook is closed forever. The beloved disciple with ardent zeal sends out\nthis final call to the unsaved, and thus the message of judgment\nthroughout the book reaches a fitting close in a full, free, and urgent\ninvitation to all men of every class to accept the offer of salvation.\nThis certainly appears to be the natural meaning of the passage, as is\nmade clear by the appeal in the latter part of the verse, which would\notherwise lack coherence, viz. \u201cAnd he that is athirst let him come: he\nthat will, let him take of the water of life freely.\u201d The verse is,\nhowever, regarded by many as belonging to the words of Christ just\npreceding (v. 12\u201016), though it is more likely, but we cannot say\ncertainly, spoken by John. Either connection is possible, and does not\nmaterially affect the sense. Another, perhaps the more common though less\nlikely interpretation, makes the word \u201cCome\u201d, repeated in the first half\nof the verse, a call to Christ to come again, referring to his promise in\nthe twelfth verse; and regards the passage either as the words of Christ\naffirming the witness of the Spirit and the Bride who entreat him to come,\nor as an answering cry from John on behalf of the church.(591)\n\n\n2 A Last Impressive Warning of Exhortation, Ch. 22:18\u201019\n\n\n\u201cIf any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the\nplagues which are written in this book: and if any man shall take away ...\nGod shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy\ncity.\u201d These are the authoritative words of a messenger conscious of\ndivine authority, and are intended to preserve the integrity of his\nmessage.(592) They are similar in form to the warning given in Deuteronomy\n(Deut. 4:2; 12:32), guarding against the deliberate falsification, or\nmisinterpretation, of a divine message.\n\n\n3 A Last Assuring Promise of Hope, Ch. 22:20a\n\n\n\u201cYea: I come quickly\u201d is the final and repeated assurance of Christ to the\nchurch of his personal coming. The promise of the Lord Jesus that he will\ncome again quickly, which was introduced almost at the beginning of the\nbook, and which recurs at intervals throughout, is thus solemnly\nemphasized and repeated once more at the close, a clear indication of the\nplace which it occupied in the mind of the Apostle. As before it is not\n\u201cquickly\u201d in the earthly sense, else Christ would have come long since,\nbut from the divine point of view, for God\u2019s plan is never slow in its\naccomplishment.(593)\n\n\n4 A last Ecstatic Prayer of Yearning, Ch. 22:20b\n\n\n\u201cAmen: come, Lord Jesus\u201d, is the Apostle\u2019s closing rejoinder of rapturous\nfaith and hope. \u201cIn this final assurance of the Lord, \u2018I come quickly\u2019,\nthe Book of Revelation finds its keynote again, and so sinks to rest with\nthe acquiescent [and triumphant] reply of faith, \u2018Amen: come, Lord\nJesus.\u2019 \u201d(594)\n\n\n\nC The Author\u2019s Benediction, Ch. 22:21\n\n\nThe apostolic blessing of the human author of the Apocalypse is added as a\nfinal word to the message of the book, invoking the grace or favor of the\nLord Jesus, the divine Saviour, upon all the saints, the usual closing\nwords of the New Testament Epistles. The benediction, though unusual in\napocalypses, is here no doubt added because the book was intended to be\nread in the churches. And thus in words familiar to every believer is\nbrought to a close the great Apocalyptic writing of the Christian church,\nthe last message of the glorified Christ to his faithful disciples upon\nearth, a deep and soul\u2010inspiring view of the past, the present, and the\nfuture, beheld in the light of Apocalyptic vision. Moved by its manifold\nlessons of faith and hope, we surely cannot but join with fervent accord\nand repetition in its last word of appeal and blessing,\n\nAMEN AND AMEN.\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX A: SOME FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTIONS OF THE APOCALYPSE\n\n\n(The Conditions of the Present Age)\n\n\n\n\nI A Duality of Forces in the Moral World\n\n\nThe Good ... vs... The Evil;\n... or ...\nThe Kingdom of God ... vs... The Counter\u2010Kingdom of Satan.\n\n\n\n\nII A Triple Antagonism of Moral Life\n\n\n1 Between God and Satan, the Evil Angels, and The Men of the Earth.\n2 Between Good Angels and Satan, Evil Angels, and The Men of the Earth.\n3 Between The Saints and Satan, Evil Angels, and The Men of the Earth.\n\n\n\n\nIII A Trinal Antithesis of Moral Character\n\n\n1 Of the Lamb and the Dragon, i. e. of Christ and Satan, or in the Greek\n\u1f08\u03c1\u03bd\u03af\u03bf\u03bd and \u03b4\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03c9\u03bd. The same antithesis is implied between the Lamb and the\ntwo Beasts to whom the Dragon gives his power, as shown by the Greek names\n\u1f08\u03c1\u03bd\u03af\u03bf\u03bd and \u03b8\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03bd.\n\n2 Of the Bride and the Harlot, i. e. of the True Church and the Faithless\nWorld, or in the Greek \u039d\u03cd\u03bc\u03c6\u03b7 and \u03a0\u03cc\u03c1\u03bd\u03b7.\n\nA like antithesis also exists between the Woman (cf. ch. 12) and the\nHarlot, \u0393\u03c5\u03bd\u1f74 and \u03a0\u03cc\u03c1\u03bd\u03b7.\n\n3 Of Jerusalem and Babylon, i. e. of the Holy City and the Unholy or the\nGreat City, \u1f39\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u1f74\u03bc and \u0392\u03b1\u03b2\u03c5\u03bb\u1f7c\u03bd.\n\nThe full antithesis is found in the final contrast between the New\nJerusalem and the Old Babylon, the City of God and the City of Sin, or the\nRedeemed Church and the Godless World.\n\n\n\n\nIV A Threefold Theocratic Method in Man\u2019s Redemptive History\n\n\n1 By Moral Conflict\u2014the Evil against the Good;\n\n2 Through Divine Preservation\u2014God Caring for his Own;\n\n3 Unto Christian Triumph\u2014the Victory of the Redeemed.\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX B: CURRENT QUESTIONS OF DIVIDED OPINION\n\n\n\n\nI The Four Schools of Interpretation\n\n\n1 The Preterist, or Contemporaneous\u2010Historical School;\n\n2 The Progressivist, or Continuous\u2010Historical School;\n\n3 The Futurist, or Future\u2010Historical School;\n\n4 The Symbolist, or Spiritual School.\n\nThe wide diversity of prevailing opinion is well indicated by the\nexistence of four separate schools of interpreters, who represent as many\ndifferent viewpoints that are currently attributed to the prophecy, and\nthat are based upon two fundamentally different methods of regarding its\npurpose, viz. the Historical which _specializes_, and the Symbolical which\n_idealizes_ the message of the book, conveniently referred to as the\nHistorical and Symbolical Schools.\n\n\n\n\nII The Seven Shibboleths of Interpreters\n\n\n1 The Personal Anti\u2010Christ;\n2 The Emperor Nero;\n3 The Roman Church;\n4 The Mohammedan Power;\n5 The Restoration of the Jews to Palestine;\n6 The Time, Purpose, and Circumstances of Christ\u2019s Second Coming;\n7 The Personal Millennial Reign of Christ on the Earth.\n\nThese are the main subjects of disagreement among interpreters, and mark\nthe dividing lines of opinion. The Historical School, in its various\nforms, usually makes one or more of these central to the thought of the\nbook; while the Symbolical School, for the most part, does not regard any\nof them as either distinctly indicated, or certainly implied. It is\nfortunate, however, that the main teaching is not materially affected by\nthe view we may take concerning these subjects of disagreement.\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX C: HEPTACHORDS OF SONG AND BLESSING\n\n\n\n\nI The Seven Choral Symphonies of the Revelation\n\n\n1 The Creation Chorus Ch. 4:8b\u201011\n2 The Redemption Chorus Ch. 5:9\u201014\n3 The Salvation Chorus Ch. 7:10\u201012\n4 The Victory Chorus Ch. 11:17\u201018\n5 The New and Incommunicable Chorus Ch. 14:2\u20103\n6 The Adoration Chorus (of Moses and the Lamb) Ch. 15:3\u20104\n7 The Hallelujah Chorus Ch. 19:1\u20107\n\n\n\n\nII The Seven Benedictions of the Revelation\n\n\n1 The Benediction upon the Receivers of the Book Ch. 1:3\n2 The Benediction upon the Holy Dead Ch. 14:13\n3 The Benediction upon the Watchers for their Lord Ch. 16:15\n4 The Benediction upon the Guests at the Marriage Supper Ch. 19:9\n5 The Benediction upon the Sharers in the First Resurrection Ch. 20:6\n6 The Benediction upon the Keepers of the Prophecy Ch. 22:7\n7 The Benediction upon the Purified Ch. 22:14\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX D: THE FORMAL SERIES OF SEVENS\n\n\n\n\nI The Initial Series of Seven\n\n\n(Messages of Christ to the Church Universal)\n\n1 A Message to the Church when Declining, as in Ephesus:\u2014\u201cRemember ... and\nRepent.\u201d\n\n2 A Message to the Church when Suffering, as in Smyrna:\u2014\u201cFear not ... Be\nFaithful.\u201d\n\n3 A Message to the Church when Impure, as in Pergamus:\u2014\u201cRepent, or I Come\nwith the Sword.\u201d\n\n4 A Message to the Church when Struggling, as in Thyatira:\u2014\u201cHold Fast till\nI Come.\u201d\n\n5 A Message to the Church when Dying, as in Sardis:\u2014\u201cStablish the Things\nthat Remain.\u201d\n\n6 A Message to the Church when Steadfast, as in Philadelphia:\u2014\u201cHold Fast\n... That No One Take thy Crown.\u201d\n\n7 A Message to the Church when Self\u2010Deceived, as in Laodicea:\u2014\u201cBe Zealous\n... and Repent.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX E: THE SYMBOLISM OF NUMBERS\n\n\n(A Key to Scripture Interpretation)\n\nThe value of the symbolism of numbers in the general interpretation of\nScripture is variously estimated, but its importance in interpreting the\nRevelation is almost universally conceded, for without it we cannot\nunderstand aright the symbolic teaching of the book. The attentive student\nwill not fail to notice the wide use of numbers throughout, and the effect\nof addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, upon the symbolism\nof the simpler numbers. The author believes that a cautious use can often\nbe made of numbers in the interpretation not only of the Revelation where\ntheir use is so manifest, but of many other parts of Scripture, if not too\nmuch stress be laid on the symbolic meaning, for the Hebrew mind delighted\nitself in symbols. The value of this knowledge lies in the fact that an\nadditional thought may often be caught in this way that would otherwise\nescape our attention, though it is usually subordinate and does not occupy\nso prominent a place as in the Revelation. The symbolism of the numbers\nused in the book is concisely stated in this appendix for the convenience\nof the reader.\n\nONE (a unit), the Primary Number. The symbol of that which is single,\nalone, or representative. One hour, and one day, in the Revelation stand\nfor a relatively short time, and a half\u2010hour for a clearly limited period,\neven though these may not be actually short from the human point of view.\nThe fractions one\u2010half, one\u2010third, and one\u2010fourth do not represent\ndefinite parts, but in a general way portions less than the whole, that\nwhich is of limited extent in relation to the whole.\n\nTWO (a pair), the Lowest Plural Number. The symbol of confirmation, of\nadded strength and surety, especially the number of confirmation in\nwitness\u2010bearing. The Two Witnesses in chapter eleven, and the Two Beasts\nin chapter thirteen, it will be seen, serve to strengthen each other.\n\nTHREE (a triad), the Divine Number. The symbol of the Trinity; of the\nspiritual as contrasted with the material; of blessing in the Old\nTestament. A small total that is deemed sufficient; a limited plurality;\nspiritual completeness. The smallest number with a beginning, a middle,\nand an end\u2014a fact that impressed the Jewish mind.\n\nTHREE AND ONE\u2010HALF (one\u2010half of seven), a Broken Number, the half of the\nPerfect Number. The symbol of the finite or undetermined; a broken and\nuncertain period without a fixed limit; a shortened period of time when\napplied to duration, and usually one of tribulation; a period of trial and\njudgment. Three and a half years is the period of the church\u2019s conflict in\nthe Revelation, the age of the church militant, the church\u2010eon; and three\nand a half days is the short and indefinite period of world\u2010triumph in\nwhich the church suffers oppression\u2014the equivalent of the half\u2010week in\nDaniel. Three and a half years, the period of drought in Elijah\u2019s time, of\nthe little horn in Daniel, and of Christ\u2019s public ministry, is introduced\nfour times in the Revelation, viz. it is the period of the Two Witnesses\n(ch. 11:3), of the Woman in the wilderness (ch. 12:6, 14), of the Dragon\u2019s\nrage (ch. 12:14), and of the power of the Beast (ch. 13:5), each of which\nis a time of tribulation.\n\nFOUR (the four corners or sides of a square), the Earth Number. The symbol\nof the physical creation, having relation to this present world which is\nusually thought of as evil; also used of world\u2010wideness, universality of\nextent, as all parts of the earth without any moral significance.\n\nFIVE (one\u2010half of ten), an Incomplete Number. The symbol of the\nindefinite, the uncertain, with the suggestion of smallness; as a measure\nof time an incomplete period.\n\nSIX (one less than seven; and one\u2010half of twelve), an Imperfect Number.\nThe symbol of evil, of incompleteness of quality, or of imperfection;\nSatan\u2019s number, the signature of non\u2010perfection; the representative of\nthat which is earthly as opposed to that which is heavenly; falling short\nof the fulness of seven, the perfect number, and but the half of twelve,\nthe church number.\n\nSEVEN (the number of days in a week; also four plus three), the Perfect\nNumber. The symbol of perfection, or completeness of quality; of totality\nof kind, fulness, or universality. A sacred number with the Jews; the\nnumber of the covenant in the Old Testament; the ethical number, for it\noften has a moral significance, and, as will be seen, is composed of the\nearth number (four) added to the divine number (three). The number seven\noccurs _fifty\u2010four_ times in the Revelation, indicating that it occupied\nan important place in the mind of the writer, and should receive special\nattention.\n\nEIGHT (seven plus one), a Reinforced Number. The symbol of culmination, of\nresurrection, or of a new life or period begun.\n\nTEN (the ten digits; the ten commandments), the Complete Number. The\nsymbol of completeness of all the parts, of totality of portions,\nentirety, and absoluteness; a finite number as contrasted with infinity;\nin its larger multiples implying indefiniteness and magnitude. Ordinarily\nused of things that are earthly, though not necessarily implying any moral\nsignificance. It is a relevant fact, however, that nothing which is\ndescribed in heaven is ten in number, though its multiples are constantly\nintroduced. The combination of seven with ten in the seven heads and ten\nhorns of the Dragon and the Beast, is unusual and has an evil significance\nthroughout, which is probably intended to indicate that that which was\noriginally designed for moral perfection (seven) has been prostituted for\nearthly ends (ten), as is signified by joining one to the other.\n\nTWELVE (the twelve sons of Jacob; four multiplied by three), the National\nNumber of Israel. The symbol of the covenant nation, the church number\u2014the\nnumber of the earth (four) multiplied by the number of the divine (three)\nbecoming the sign of God\u2019s people divinely chosen out of the earth. By\nsome it is interpreted as the number of world\u2010witness for divine truth, as\nthe twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, putting the purpose of the\nchurch first.\n\nTWENTY\u2010FOUR (twelve multiplied by two), the National Number Doubled. The\nsymbol in the Revelation of the church of both Dispensations united, the\nJewish and Christian, the church of all the ages. The glorified church in\nheaven is ideally represented by the four and twenty elders that are\nbefore the throne, i. e. the elders represent one phase of that life.\n\nFORTY (ten multiplied by four), the Probational Number. The symbol of\ntemptation, or of the power of the earthly; often connected with the\ndivine test of character, the earth number (four) multiplied by the\ncomplete number (ten) signifying the complete power of the earthly which\nis ever testing men. Also, as forty years was regarded as the period of\nintellectual maturity in man, it sometimes stood for a full period, a\ncomplete epoch, especially a complete period of stress or trial.\n\nFORTY\u2010TWO (twelve multiplied by three and a half; or seven multiplied by\nsix), a Broken Number. The symbol of the church\u2010historic period of trial,\nthe world\u2010age, the duration of the rule of wickedness. Three and a half\nyears in months,\u2014the source from which this number is derived in the\nRevelation,\u2014serves to indicate the incomplete period of the church (twelve\nmultiplied by three and a half), and also the full or complete period of\nevil (six multiplied by seven).\n\nSEVENTY (ten multiplied by seven), the Cosmopolitan Number. The symbol of\nworld\u2010wideness; of a two\u2010fold completeness that is all embracing and\ncomprehensive, comprising both seven and ten; the number of the nations.\n[The numbers forty and seventy, strange to say, do not occur in the\nRevelation, though forty is common in the Old Testament, and occurs also\nin the New, and the square of forty (1600) is found in chapter fourteen\n(v. 20); seventy also had a well\u2010known meaning to the Hebrew mind,\nespecially from the period of the Captivity which lasted seventy years,\nand was also the number of disciples sent forth by our Lord for wider\nservice during his Perean ministry. It is quite probable, however, that\nthese numbers are not used in the Revelation, where so much stress is laid\non the symbolism of numbers, simply because their symbolism was not\nneeded, just as one hundred is not used except in combination with other\nnumbers].\n\nONE HUNDRED (ten multiplied by ten), the Complete Number Squared; ten\nmultiplied by itself. The symbol of a multiple completeness that is\nusually applied to the earthly.\n\nONE HUNDRED AND FORTY\u2010FOUR (twelve multiplied by twelve), the National\nNumber of Israel Squared. The symbol of the completeness of the redeemed\nchurch\u2014the multiplying of a number by itself conveying the idea of a\nmultiple fulness or completeness; Israel, God\u2019s people, made complete.\n\nSix Hundred and Sixty\u2010six (six hundred, plus sixty, plus six), the Number\nof the Beast. The symbol of the threefold form of the world\u2019s evil which\nculminates in the Second Beast. Six, the number of imperfection (one short\nof the mystic seven), thrice repeated, six, six, six, (666), represents\nthe combined force of the Dragon, the First Beast, and the Second; or,\ndifferently stated, six hundred may be taken as the symbol of the Dragon,\nsixty as the symbol of the First Beast, and six as the symbol of the\nsecond, which gives a total of six hundred, and sixty, and six,\nrepresenting the combined power of evil incarnated in the Second Beast. In\nthis symbolism there may also be included the thought of a triune power in\nantagonism to the divine Trinity\u2014a trinity of sin.\n\nONE THOUSAND (ten multiplied by ten multiplied by ten), the Cube of Ten.\nThe symbol of multi\u2010completeness; a number that is great but indefinite in\nits symbolism, and often used of the heavenly. The thousand years of\nchapter twenty is a great period of time of unknown length, stretching out\nto untold generations, the millennium of the church\u2019s history, the period\nof the church\u2019s triumph and victory.\n\nTWELVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY (forty\u2010two multiplied by thirty; or twelve\nmultiplied by three and a half and this again by thirty), the Time Number.\nThe symbol of the indefinite period of present\u2010world duration; the age of\npersecution. Twelve hundred and sixty days are equivalent to forty\u2010two\nmonths of thirty days each, or three and a half years of three hundred and\nsixty days each, the symbol of the incomplete period of trial during which\nthe church suffers oppression. To this may perhaps be added the\ncombination of twelve multiplied by five, representing the incompleteness\nof the church as one factor, and seven multiplied by three, representing\nthe completeness of the divine as the other factor, these multiplied\ntogether equalling twelve hundred and sixty and symbolizing God working\nout perfect results through the incomplete period of the church.\n\nSIXTEEN HUNDRED (forty multiplied by forty; or one hundred multiplied by\nsixteen), the Square of Forty; or the Square of Ten multiplied by the\nSquare of Four. The symbol of that which is coextensive with the created\nworld. Forty is composed of four, the earth number, multiplied by ten, the\nnumber of completeness; and sixteen hundred, the square of forty, is the\nsign of completeness so far as this world is concerned. The square of four\nmultiplied by the square of ten gives the same result, and conveys the\nsame idea of world\u2010completeness.\n\nSEVEN THOUSAND (one thousand multiplied by seven), the Number of Multi\u2010\nCompleteness, one thousand, multiplied by seven, the Number of Fulness or\nPerfection. The symbol of a great number that is fully complete; the\nnumber of those put to death in the fall of the great city (ch. 11:13).\n\nTEN THOUSAND (one thousand multiplied by ten; the square of one hundred),\nthe Superlative Number. The symbol of innumerability, or of an innumerable\nmultitude. This is the highest _single_ number in the system of notation\nused in the New Testament; ten raised to the fourth power, a myriad\n(\u03bc\u03c5\u03c1\u03b9\u1f70\u03c2).\n\nTWELVE THOUSAND (one thousand multiplied by twelve), the Number of Multi\u2010\nCompleteness (one thousand) multiplied by the Number of the Tribes of\nIsrael (twelve). The symbol of the complete number saved out of Israel\nfrom each tribe; or, as others interpret it, the complete number saved out\nof all the nations, included here under the twelve tribes, twelve thousand\nfrom each tribe; also the measure of one side of the wall of the New\nJerusalem which is multi\u2010complete and encircles the redeemed of Israel.\n\nONE HUNDRED AND FORTY\u2010FOUR THOUSAND (one thousand multiplied by one\nhundred and forty\u2010four; or twelve thousand multiplied by twelve; or the\ncube of ten multiplied by the square of twelve), the Number of Redemption.\nThe symbol of the multiple completeness of the redeemed church, whether\napplied to the redeemed from the Old Dispensation, or by synecdoche to\nthose from all ages and nations.\n\nTEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND (ten thousand multiplied by ten thousand),\nthe Number of Multi\u2010Completeness (one thousand) multiplied by the Number\nof Completeness of Parts (ten), and this again multiplied by itself; the\nSquare of a Myriad, one hundred millions in number. The symbol of an\ninnumerable multitude which is made more intense by squaring it; the\nmultiple and innumerable number of the angels in heaven.\n\nTWICE TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND (ten thousand multiplied by ten\nthousand, and this again doubled), the Double Square of a Myriad, two\nhundred millions in number\u2014the largest multiple number in the book of\nRevelation, and the largest number mentioned in the Bible. The symbol of\nan innumerable multitude made more intense by multiplication, becoming\nthereby an _innumerably_ innumerable multitude, and this again doubled.\nThe countless number of the vast invading army of horsemen under the sixth\ntrumpet which destroy a third part of men from the earth; the world\u2010forces\nwhich under direction of the world\u2010rulers of the darkness work world\u2010ruin\namong men\u2014a significant figure of the mighty power and destructive agency\nof the heathen world as it appeared to John\u2019s mind in the great\nApocalyptic vision.\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX F: THE LITERARY STRUCTURE OF THE APOCALYPSE\n\n\nA Diagram showing the relation of its several parts.\n\n [Illustration]\n\n The Literary Structure of the Apocalypse\n\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX G: THE APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE(595)\n\n\nThe Apocalyptic Literature is a characteristic product of Jewish national\nand religious thought. It was a favorite literary method of a particular\nage, and was born of a travail of soul which strove to find expression for\nthose new currents of thought and feeling that came to the surface in\nlater Judaism. Following the decadence of prophecy it belonged to the\nperiod of Jewish oppression, and voiced the heart\u2010cry of a people true to\nGod in the midst of national distress. Though anticipated in fragmentary\nparts of earlier prophecies, as in Ezekiel and Zechariah, the style of\nApocalyptic first found definite form in the book of Daniel, which became\nthe type of all subsequent Writings of this class that flourished so\nabundantly in the two centuries preceding and the century following the\nbeginning of the Christian era. Couched in language that is\ncharacteristically figurative and symbolical the literary form is at once\nmarked and significant, and reached its highest development in the\ncanonical Apocalypse which has given name to the whole class. The\nessential limitations of this class of literature are clearly\nrecognizable; its ideas move within a narrow range, its point of view is\nsombre and unequal, and its center of interest is mainly eschatological.\nIt occupies a sphere peculiarly its own, a world of pious and often\nfantastic dreams\u2014\u201cfor prophecy as it lost its footing on the solid earth\ntook refuge in the clouds\u201d;(596) it wrote the word mystery large across\nits page, and revelled in the weird and shadowy; but beneath its peculiar\nphantasy lay a profound religious motive\u2014it sought to stay the troubled\nsouls of men in time of storm, and in its deeper purpose strove to\nreconcile the righteousness of God with the sufferings of his people. In\nthe form of strange and sometimes even grotesque symbolic visions\u2014thought\ncouched in symbols burning and vivid, which no other figure of speech\ncould so well convey\u2014and under the name of some hero of the past, it\nsketched in outline a history of the world, the origin of evil, the future\nvictory of righteousness, and the final consummation of all things through\nwhich alone, according to the Apocalyptic view, the providential rule of\nGod could be vindicated.\n\nThere still exists a not inconsiderable remnant of this very interesting\nliterature, though the greater portion has perished in the wreckage of\ntime. The principal books still extant are the _Apocalypse of Baruch_; the\n_Ethiopic_ and _Slavonic Books of Enoch_; the _Ascension of Isaiah_; the\n_Book of Jubilees_; the _Assumption of Moses_; the _Testaments of the XII\nPatriarchs_; _Second Esdras_ (known also as _Fourth Ezra_); the _Psalms of\nSolomon_; and the _Sibylline Oracles_. The late recovery of some of these\nfrom apparent oblivion is a matter of history, and their recension and\ntranslation by European and American scholars is not without interest to\nthe general student. The study of this literature as a distinct class is\none of the notable contributions to knowledge by the modern critical\nschool. These Jewish Apocalypses were widely read in their day, and they\nboth partook of and leavened the thought of their time, for they\nincorporated and expressed the current mysterious hopes and beliefs of the\npeople. Their influence is distinctly traceable in the diction of the New\nTestament, and the _Book of Enoch_ is obviously quoted in the Epistle of\nJude. These works ranked very high with the primitive Christians, and this\nled to their being reedited by early Christian writers, and, it is\ngenerally thought, to the interpolation of later ideas. There is, however,\na very wide variation of opinion concerning the extent to which changes\nhave been introduced, and this is one of the puzzling questions that\nconfronts the textual critic. Then, also, beside these changes in the\nolder books, a new series of Christian Apocalypses sprang up, influenced\nno doubt by the _Apocalypse of John_. A considerable number of these have\nsurvived, such as the _Apocalypse of Peter_, _of Paul_, _Thomas_,\n_Stephen_, _Cerinthus_ and others, but the greater portion have been lost,\nand those we have are decidedly inferior both in style and conception to\nthe earlier Jewish works of which they are a feeble imitation.\n\nIt is difficult for us to conceive the conditions of mind and thought that\ngave rise to such a literature. In itself it affords an interesting\npsychological study. The Oriental is a mystic by nature, and many of his\nways of thinking can never be quite clear to the Western mind. The Jew in\ntimes past was the great figure of the Orient, as he has also been well\nnamed \u201cthe most commanding figure in history\u201d; for whatever he may now be,\nthe Hebrew which we find in his literature is enveloped in the atmosphere\nof the East. The Hebrew writers as a class are unique. Although devoid in\na large measure of the humanistic idea of literature for its own sake,\nthey yet subserved the truest aim in that they brought to the surface and\nmade verbal those deeper tides of thought and feeling which move and flow\nin the universal heart, those wide\u2010spread and enduring currents which they\ninstinctively felt were shared by the men of their own generation. Writing\nonly for a religious purpose, and because they had a message for life, the\ndevelopment of their thought\u2010forms was more or less incidental, and was\nthe product alike of the man, his religion, and his environment. So that\nwhile we especially emphasize the national conditions which contributed so\nlargely to the birth of this literary form, we should not forget that\nbehind all that which was temporary and passing lay the Semitic mind and\nthe Mosaic cult.\n\nThe rise of Apocalyptic marks a transition stage in the development of\nHebrew thought that is of momentous significance, for it led to clearer\nviews of immortality, and truer conceptions of God\u2019s relation to the world\nof men, as well as to a distinct clarifying of the Messianic hope. Its\ndeeper roots are found in the failure of prophecy. No living voice was\nheard among the people speaking for God as in former days. Prophecy had\ngrown senile and was in decay; it had become a thing of the past, and in\nits place had followed the scholastic work of the scribes, mechanically\ninterpreting the messages of old. But, as is pointed out by Charles,\n\u201cScribism could not satisfy the aspirations of the nation: it represented\nan unproductive age of criticism, following a productive age of prophetic\ngenius.\u201d And Apocalyptic was the spontaneous outcry of a heart\u2010hunger\nwhich refused to be fed on the barren husks of labored interpretation\nserved up by the scribes. It was in the true line of succession to\nprophecy, and though it fell far behind the prophetic message both in its\nform and content, and was even feeble in comparison, yet, as Charles has\nsaid, \u201cIt attested beyond doubt the reappearance of spiritual genius in\nthe field of thought and action.\u201d There is assuredly something that is\nprofoundly pathetic in this deep heart\u2010cry of the Jewish people which\nrings mournfully out of the far past; for even at this remote distance of\ntime and space we cannot read without emotion their enduring record of\nsorrow and suffering, of longing and hope, if we share at all in the wider\nworld of religious experience.(597)\n\nThe apocalyptists were evidently conscious that they had no new message\nfor their generation, and this conviction led to certain well\u2010defined\nresults. First of all they fell back upon the old message for most of\ntheir ideas; but with singular skill they contrived to present them in new\nform. The essential elements of their thought were taken from the Old\nTestament prophecies, while the material framework was drawn from without.\nThey attempted in their own way to develop an esoteric meaning in the\nprophecies of the past, and for this purpose called to their aid the bold\nand striking imagery of the Eastern mind. They laid under contribution the\nluxuriant symbols of Babylon, Persia, and the surrounding nations; they\ngathered the rarest figures from the accumulated stores of poetry, art,\nand religion; and then with a fertile fancy they interwove these all in\nthe fantastic fabric of their dreams. Then, again, they hid their own\npersonality, and masked under the name of some great religious hero of the\npast. Enoch and Moses, Isaiah and Baruch, served as a thin disguise for\nthe real authors who remained unknown,\u2014for the Apocalyptic writings are\nall pseudonymous so far as known, with the apparent exception of the\n_Apocalypse of John_, and the _Shepherd of Hermas_,\u2014and yet we cannot say\nthat there was any real motive of deception in this, if we take into\naccount the views of authorship which then prevailed, for \u201cthe ethical\nnotion of literary property is a plant of modern growth\u201d.(598)\n\nThe fashioning of Apocalyptic was influenced by many different causes, but\nthe most marked and significant of them all is to be found in the existing\nnational conditions of the time. By the captivity in Babylon Judah had\nbeen brought within the sweep of the great tide of history; the world\nbecame vaster; prophecy had a new and broader outlook, and its thought was\nforever after interpenetrated by an element of Apocalyptic. The strange\nfigures of Babylonian imagery were absorbed by the Hebrew mind, and\nenshrined in their subsequent literature. On the other hand the nation\nitself was in decay; the power of the past had been broken and destroyed;\nand \u201cit was terror and oppression\u201d, in good part at least, as Stevens has\nwell said, \u201cthat gave this new trend to their thought\u201d. They had drunk\ndeeply of the bitter cup of national distress; the encroachment of the\nworld\u2010empires had envenomed the past, embittered the present, and\novershadowed the future; the glorious promises of God had thus far failed\nof any substantial realization, and the contrast between promise and\nfulfilment was too wide to be overlooked. But the Hebrew with sublime\ncourage did not lose faith in God because of the delay. Apocalyptic voiced\nhis answer to the problems of the time, and it, like Prophecy and the\nWisdom Literature, was rooted in certain ethical conceptions which are\nfundamental to its thought, such as that God is holy, that the world in\nwhich we live is a moral world, and that righteousness must win.(599) And\nthis gave to the apocalyptist his theme:\u2014the Fortunes of the Kingdom of\nGod, and how they are to be reconciled with all that God has said; for God\nmust be vindicated, he is forever true, and his word cannot fail. This\nthesis was maintained in two ways. _First_, by attempting a wider view of\nthe problem of sin and righteousness. That became the question no longer\nof a single nation, but of the whole race\u2014for under the stimulus of new\nand wider conditions, a great enlargement of the Hebrew spirit took place.\nThere must be a providential and moral order in the universe which if\nsought out will give the true meaning of history. The divine purpose must\nbe interpreted through the broader sphere of the world\u2019s life. This\nstandpoint had now become possible through the wider world\u2010view produced\nin later Judaism by contact and intercourse with other nations. And thus\nApocalyptic came to express both a deeply wrought theodicy and a Semitic\nphilosophy of history. _Second_, the apocalyptist completed his\nvindication of God by shifting the center of attention from the present to\nthe future. The more certain it became that no present realization of his\nhopes was possible, the more surely he turned to a future age that would\nabundantly recompense all the pain and disappointment of the past. It was\nthis that made the outlook of Apocalyptic essentially eschatological.\nBeginning with the history of the past veiled under the form of prophecy,\nthe apocalyptist rushes on to predict the future, for there he finds the\nvictory. The End! The End! is his cry,\u2014the End that victory may come\u2014for\nGod is to be vindicated only by the consummation of all things, and\nhistory can only be read aright in the light of its finality. The answer\nof the End is the key that Apocalyptic offers to the mystery of all that\n\u201cwhich was and is and is to come\u201d; and it is this persistent effort to\nread the mind of God concerning the future that gives to Apocalyptic an\nelement of peculiar interest. For though it is often like the voice of \u201can\ninfant crying in the night * * * * and with no language but a cry\u201d, it has\nyet a deep significance all its own; it was a form of thought by which God\nled his people into clearer views of truth, and to new and larger\nvision.(600) Upon the other hand the shifting\u2010point in every apocalypse\nfrom history to prediction can usually be made out without essential\neffort; for beneath the form of symbols and symbolic actions can\nordinarily be discovered the chief actors and principal events of the past\nand present which correspond to history; while the things of the future\nwhich are predicted, reach out at once to extravagant proportions. Thus\neach Jewish apocalypse by its content and movement, serves to mark out its\nown horizon and reveal its own environment.\n\nThe general prevalence of the Apocalyptic form in the period in which it\nwas used may be accounted for partly by its suitability to the theme which\nit treated, and partly by the prevailing conditions of national\nsurveillance. Its visions and symbols and dream\u2010movement were peculiarly\nadapted to meet the conditions of a writing which did not dare to make\nplain its bitter reproaches of the foes of Israel. Its hidden meaning,\nalso, answered well to hint darkly what lay in the future; and its\nfantastic imagery appealed to the imagination.(601) The pervasive element\nof mystery served to invest these writings with a subtle charm that all\nthe intervening lapse of centuries and even the present temper of a\nscientific age have wholly failed to dissipate. The effort of most modern\nJewish scholars to attribute the Apocalyptic Literature to Essenism cannot\nbe sustained; neither can we accept the gratuitous assertion of\nMontefiore, that \u201cthe Apocalyptic writings lie for the most part outside\nthe line of the purest Jewish development\u201d. Sch\u00fcrer and Charles reflect\nthe opinion of the majority of Christian scholars in maintaining its\nnearer relation to Phariseeism, though admitting it to be \u201ca product of\nfree religious thought following older models\u201d, and showing distinctive\nmarks of Phariseeism in some of its parts and of Sadduceeism in others. At\nthe same time most authorities are willing to grant the probability of\nWellhausen\u2019s suggestion, that \u201cthe secret literature of the Essenes was\nperhaps in no small degree made use of in the Pseudepigrapha, and has\nthrough them been indirectly handed down to us\u201d.\n\nThe value of Apocalyptic is increasingly recognized as a storehouse of\nJewish and Jewish\u2010Christian thought in the age preceding and in the early\npart of the Christian era. It forms the necessary connecting link between\nthe Old Testament and the New, and is especially rich in messianic and\neschatological conceptions. It is the chief source of information through\nwhich we can trace the changes that occurred in Jewish belief, and the\nlater development of Jewish thought, in the period immediately preceding\nthe time of Christ. It carries us back, in effect, to the thought\u2010world of\nthe first century, and enables us, as Sch\u00fcrer aptly says, \u201cto reconstruct\nthe thought, the aspiration, and the hopes of pious Jews in the generation\nthat first heard the gospel, and even of the Apostles themselves; for\nhowever Christ\u2019s thought transcended the thought of his time, that of the\nApostles did not, except so far as the Holy Spirit illumined them for\nspecial ends.\u201d And, as Charles remarks, \u201cIf the Apocalypses were edited\nlater they only reflect more fully the thought of that age, and they\nexhibit what is subsumed throughout in Christ\u2019s teachings.\u201d We can see in\nthese writings not only a transition stage in Judaism preparatory to the\ngospel, but how this modified Jewish thought fits in with the gospel\nteaching. They show, for example, how the Old Testament idea of the future\nlife grew in depth and compass in those centuries which precede the\nChristian era; and how this advance was retained and enlarged, modified\nand exalted, by Christ himself and by the Apostles; and how, also, the\nexpansive growth of the messianic hope, which was sometimes almost wholly\nsubmerged, but which always contrived to reappear with increasing\nclearness, contributed to that popular expectancy, though in some degree\nalso to that general misapprehension, of the Messiah\u2019s mission which the\nNew Testament everywhere reveals. And they enable us to appreciate how the\ndivine method of gradual advance in spiritual knowledge was operating\nduring those prevening centuries which have so often been regarded as\nbarren and fruitless; and how this advance contributed its due proportion\nto the marvellous results attained in the life of our blessed Lord and in\nthe period of the apostolic church. The force of this conclusion is, of\ncourse, partially annulled if we assume, as has been done by some, that\nmany of the clearer messianic references in the Apocalyptic writings are\nChristian interpolations. But the present tendency of critics is toward a\nless destructive view than formerly prevailed. Charles, for example,\nmaintains that the possibilities of Jewish thought should be given full\nscope, and nothing attributed to Christian interpolation, or to Persian or\nother external origin, except that which cannot be reasonably accounted\nfor from Jewish sources. The general independence of Israel\u2019s religious\ndevelopment has certainly come out more clearly from the investigation. As\nhas been pointed out by Fairweather, \u201cWith the exception of certain modes\nof thought and expression, including the visionary style so much employed\nby Ezekiel, the patriotic Jew apparently brought back with him from\nBabylon no new literary possession.... Many scholars explain the\neschatological development of the Apocryphal period on the theory of the\ncontact of Judaism with foreign systems of thought.... But, as Nicolas has\nsaid, \u2018Ideas do not pass ready made and complete from one nation to\nanother like the fruits of industry which are transported in caravans.\u2019...\nThere may be, however, stimulus without transference, and this appears to\nbe what really happened in the case before us.\u201d(602)\n\nThe Apocalyptic Literature undoubtedly served a splendid purpose, for its\neffects were both wide\u2010spread and in many respects beneficial. It served\nto rebuke sin, to maintain righteousness without any present prospect of\nreward, to keep alive the rich hopes of the future, to comfort God\u2019s\nchildren in the midst of distress, and to cultivate a patriotic spirit\nthat cherished the nobler ideals of the past; while at the same time it\nformed a secure depository for those new concepts of truth that sprang up\nduring the long era of preparation for the Messiah, and it thereby\ncontributed a rich quota of thought and phrase to that greater future\nwhich was then drawing near to its birth. \u201cIn general Apocalyptic\nfurnishes the atmosphere of the New Testament. Its form, its language, and\nits material are extensively used.... The simplest way to describe the\nrelation is to say that Jesus and the writers of the New Testament found\nthe forms of thought made use of in Apocalyptic Literature convenient\nvehicles, and have cast the gospel of God\u2019s redemptive love into these as\ninto moulds. The Messianism of the apocalyptists has thus become unfolded\ninto the Christology of the New Testament.\u201d(603) But upon the other hand\nApocalyptic reveals a type of thought that can scarcely be regarded as\nhealthful. It had no deep or abiding sympathy with the great overshadowing\nworld\u2010sorrow which it measurably apprehended, and it proposed no present\nremedy for the unhappy fortunes of Judaism. It dealt too largely with the\nfuture hopes of the nation, and did not like prophecy address itself to\nthe immediate possibilities of the present; and it thereby robbed life of\none of its chief incentives to action, viz. the hope of present success.\nFor it gave up hope of the world as it was, and thereby produced a world\u2010\ndespair that could not be counteracted by the prospective world\u2010joy which\nglowed in the messianic promise. According to Apocalyptic perspective,\n\u201cthe present served mainly as a back\u2010ground of shadow for developing the\nricher light of the coming age;\u201d and, \u201cthe proper design of the world was\nto be found in its ending and not in its longer continuance.\u201d Even with\nthe wider world\u2010view which the apocalyptists possessed, history lost its\nvalue; for they at least partially misread the providential order of the\nworld. As Stevens has forcibly said, they \u201cviewed the method of God as\nictic and sudden, and not detailed and patient\u201d,\u2014the very opposite of the\ndivine method in history. And such an interpretation of life produced its\ninevitable results in dreams of an hallucinary but impossible future. It\ndeveloped and cultured a form of mysticism that has left a permanent\nimpression upon the Christian church\u2014a mysticism that takes refuge from\npresent evils, and from worse that are deemed impending, in the hope of an\nultimate and protracted future of blessing wrought by cataclysmic\nrevolutions, and leading up to a new manifestation of the divine Person\nupon earth, and to new conditions of life in the world of nature.(604) For\nit is in Apocalyptic rather than in Scripture that we find the source of\nthat pessimistic view which has prevailed in various circles of the church\nin all ages, that looks for the world to grow continually worse as the\ncenturies go on, until by a great climax of the future a new order of\nthings shall be introduced that is essentially different in its divine\nmanifestations and in its spiritual ordering from all the past. But\nnotwithstanding the many defects of this class of writings, and their\nmanifest extravagancies, they were yet divinely used, and evidently filled\nan exceptionally large place in the far\u2010reaching providential plan of God\nfor the education of the Jewish nation, and through them of the world,\njust as God is ever using human and imperfect means for wise and\nbeneficent ends.\n\nThe importance of some knowledge of Apocalyptic to the student of John\u2019s\nRevelation cannot well be overestimated, for it is only in the light of\nApocalyptic Literature that it can be rightly interpreted. It reproduces\nthe author\u2019s native horizon, and reveals the sources of his mode of\nthought; it provides the key to the method of vision and symbol and dream\u2010\nmovement; and it makes clear the inevitable limitations as well as the\nrecognized possibilities of this unique style when it becomes the vehicle\nof a true instead of an assumed revelation. For although the source of\nmuch of the imagery of the Apocalypse is to be found in the Old Testament,\nyet it is often materially changed by passing through the medium of later\nJewish thought as reflected in the Pseudepigrapha; and although New\nTestament ideas everywhere prevail in, through, and above, those of the\nOld, yet the whole spirit and movement of the Apocalypse is moulded by\ncertain underlying pre\u2010Christian conceptions that belong to Jewish\nApocalyptic. We find, for example, that the divine method in history is\nuniformly viewed as in the Apocalyptic Literature, and contrary to general\nexperience, as chiefly one of crisis and catastrophe rather than of\ngradual development\u2014the sudden and striking hiding from view the continued\nand ordinary. And we cannot but inquire how far this conception is with\nJohn the result of literary form and spiritual mood, rather than intended\nto set forth the intimate nature of the divine method; and how far it is\ndesigned to portray vividly the effects to be accomplished, rather than to\nsignify the manner of their accomplishment. We find, too, that John, in\ncommon with the apocalyptists, dwells more upon the future hopes of the\nkingdom than upon its present possibilities, keeping his eye ever fixed\nabove the conflict upon the far future of promise. And we cannot but\ninquire how far this aspect of his world\u2010view was divinely designed as a\nmessage of comfort to a people in distress, rather than as a comprehensive\npresentation of the progressive world\u2010plan of the ages; and how far it is\ngiven only as one point of view, rather than as designed to express the\nfulness of the divine purpose. To these inquiries there can properly be\nbut one answer, the view\u2010point is characteristic of and peculiar to\nApocalyptic. It does not present the normal aspect of life; it is the\nproduct of adverse conditions and breathes the spirit of pain; its vision\nis forever saddened by the overwhelming world\u2010sorrow that darkens the\nhorizon of thought. And while all Hebrew literature is essentially grave,\nand devoid of the element of humor, yet Apocalyptic is abidingly\novershadowed by a weight of world\u2010woe from which men seek to escape into\nanother sphere and into new and better conditions of life.\n\nThe larger study of Apocalyptic Literature must continue to have its\neffect upon the interpretation of the Apocalypse which is indisputably its\ngreatest masterpiece. For by attentive consideration of the peculiarities\nof this form of composition we are gradually led to perceive that only in\nso far as we invest ourselves with the atmosphere which produced so\nstrange a coloring of thought, can we hope to interpret aright that\npeculiar view of the world, growing out of the conditions of Jewish\ndepression, which regards it as the arena of an all\u2010pervasive conflict,\nand involved in prevailing sin and suffering, in order that through these\nseemingly adverse experiences it may by sovereign control be divinely made\nready for the future glory of the Messiah\u2019s kingdom. And we are thus amply\nassured that a correct apprehension of the form and fashion of Apocalyptic\nthought will undoubtedly guide us in all that pertains to the material\nframework of the Apocalypse, though certainly we should not forget that we\nmust always go to the Old Testament and to the New when we would reach its\ninner heart. The present general consensus of opinion among modern\nscholars, therefore, seems to be, that having measurably exhausted inquiry\nconcerning the Old Testament references, whatever progress we are to make\nin the immediate future in unfolding the thought of the Revelation must be\nthrough a further study of the thought\u2010forms of the century that gave it\nbirth, which so richly abound in the Apocalyptic writings, but which so\nlong escaped the scholarly and attentive consideration of Christian\nthought.\n\n\n\n\n\n[Transcriber\u2019s Note: Obvious printer\u2019s errors have been corrected.]\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n\n 1 The principal thought in each quotation has been _italicized_ for\n the sake of emphasis.\n\n 2 \u201cTo pretend to have found an answer to every question raised by the\n Apocalypse is the opposite of science.\u201d J\u00fclicher, _Intr. to New\n Test._, p. 291; also cf. Warfield, art. \u201cRevelation,\u201d _Schaff\u2010Herzog\n Enc._\n\n 3 That meaning for the most part, as Farrar has forcibly said\n concerning the portion of the book which relates to the earthly and\n historic future, \u201cis irrevocably lost for us, and in point of fact\n has never been known to any age of the church\u2014not even to the\n earliest, not even, so far as our records go, to Iren\u00e6us the hearer\n of Polycarp, or to Polycarp the hearer of St. John.\u201d _Early Days of\n Christianity_, p. 528.\n\n 4 Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, vol. Rev., notes, p. 192; also cf. Rev.\n ch. 19. 10, \u201cThe testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.\u201d\n\n 5 \u201cIn interpreting symbolism, as in all the higher forms of allegory,\n the first critical requirement is restraint. Even with such a poet\n as Spenser it is only a rude exegesis which identifies a particular\n personage with a definite idea: in the more mystic symbolism of the\n present poem (Revelation) it is a violation of true literary taste\n to seek a meaning for every detail of complex presentation.\u201d\n Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._ Rev., p. 192, notes.\n\n 6 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 2.\n\n 7 Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., Intr. p. xx.\n\n 8 Cf. Davidson, art. \u201cProphecy\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; also see\n Scott, on the distinction between \u201cProphecy\u201d and \u201cApocalyptic,\u201d _New\n Cent. Bib._, Intr. to Rev., p. 26.\n\n 9 \u201cThe term apocalypse signifies in the first place the act of\n uncovering, and thus bringing into sight that which was before\n unseen, hence a revelation.... An apocalypse is thus primarily the\n act of revelation: in the second place it is the subject\u2010matter\n revealed; and in the third place a book or literary production which\n gives an account of revelation whether real or alleged.... The term\n apocalypse is sometimes used, with an effort at greater precision,\n to designate the pictorial portraiture of the future as foreshadowed\n by the seer. (In this sense it denotes the literary style in which\n the writing is couched).... Thus an apocalypse becomes a form of\n literature precisely in the same manner as an epistle.\u201d Zenos, art.\n \u201cApoc. Lit.,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Chr. and Gosp._\n\n 10 Chs. 1.4; 4.8; and 22.8. We may omit ch. 21.2 (following the\n Revisers) as without sufficient authority.\n\n 11 \u201cThe Divine\u201d as a title for St. John ... is certainly as old as\n Eusebius: (_Praep. Evan._ xi 18), Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 1.\n\n 12 So L\u00fccke, Bleek, D\u00fcsterdieck, J\u00fclicher, and others.\n\n 13 Dods\u2019 _Intr. to New Test._, pp. 244\u201047: Salmon\u2019s _Intr._, p. 2O3f;\n Bacon\u2019s _Intr. to New Test._, p. 23Of; Swete, _Apoc. St. John_,\n Intr., p. clxxf; and Milligan\u2019s _Discuss. on Apoc._, ch\u2019s. II and\n IV. Also, see Simcox on Rev., _Cambr. Gr. Test._, \u201cExcur. III,\u201d for\n a brief analysis of the theories of composite authorship advanced by\n Vischer and Volter; Warfield, _Presb. Review_, Ap. \u201984, p. 228, in\n reply to Volter; Moffatt, _Expositor_, Mar. \u201909, \u201cWellhausen and\n Others on Apoc\u201d; and same author, \u201cIntr. to Rev.\u201d, _Exp. Gr. Test._,\n vol. V. pp. 292\u201094:.\n\n 14 The theory current among modern critics of two Johns in Asia, or\n else of identifying the traditional John of Ephesus with the\n hypothetical John the Presbyter, has a very slender foundation. \u201cThe\n existence of this second John, the Presbyter, if he really did\n exist, rests upon a single line of an extract from Papias, a writer\n of the second century.\u201d Sanday\u2019s _Criticism of the Fourth Gospel_,\n p. 16. \u201cEither John (the Apostle) wrote it (the Revelation), or John\n was never at Ephesus.\u201d Holtzman, quoted in \u201cIntr. to Rev.\u201d, _New\n Cent. Bib._, p. 36. For an interesting discussion of \u201cthe two\n Johns,\u201d see \u201cExcur. XIV\u201d in Farrar\u2019s _Early Days of Christianity_;\n also Smith, \u201cIntr. to Ep\u2019s of John\u201d, _Exp. Gr. Test._, vol. V, pp.\n 158\u201062; and Strong, art. \u201cJohn, Apostle,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 15 This view that the Apocalypse is pseudonymous is now, however, for\n the most part being given up. With the revival of prophecy under the\n influence of the life and teachings of Christ, \u201cit is only what we\n would expect when the primitive Christian prophet, a John, or a\n Hermas, disdains the pseudonymity of his Jewish rivals.\u201d Bacon\u2019s\n _Intr. to New Test._, p. 234; also see _New Cent. Bib._, Rev.,\n Intr., p. 32.\n\n 16 Charles points out the many Hebraisms of the Apocalypse, and says of\n the author, \u201cWhile he writes in Greek he thinks in Hebrew, and the\n thought has naturally affected the vehicle of expression.... He\n never mastered Greek idiomatically ... to him many of its particles\n were apparently unknown.\u201d _Studies in Apoc._, p. 82.\n\n 17 Bp. Wescott, \u201cIntr. to John\u2019s Gospel\u201d, _Bib. Com._, pp. lxxxiv\u2010vii;\n cf. Swete\u2019s discussion of this view, \u201c_Apoc. St. John_\u201d,\n \u201cAuthorship\u201d, pp. clxxviii\u2010i.\n\n 18 Prof. M. B. Riddle, unpublished _Class\u2010room Lects. on Rev._\n\n 19 Reynolds, \u201cIntr. to Gosp. of John,\u201d _Pulp. Com._, p. lxvii.\n\n 20 See Bacon\u2019s _Intr. to New Test._, pp. 136\u201038; Briggs\u2019 _Messiah of\n the Apostles_, p. 301; and tentatively, Swete, _Apoc. St. John_,\n \u201cAuthorship,\u201d pp. clxxx\u2010xxxi.\n\n 21 Cf. J\u00fclicher\u2019s _Intr. to New Test._, chapter on the \u201cJohannine\n Problem.\u201d\n\n 22 \u201cMore than any other class of writings they show signs of having\n been edited and modified.\u201d Zenos, art. \u201cApoc. Lit.,\u201d Hastings\u2019\n _Dict. of Chr. and Gosp._\n\n 23 Holtzmann, quoted in _New Cent. Bib._; \u201cSubstantially it bears the\n marks of composition by a single pen; the blend of original writing\n and editorial re\u2010setting does not impair the impression of a\n literary unity.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., Intr., p. 288.\n\n 24 As by Vischer, Harnack, and others.\n\n 25 As by Volter, Spitta, Pfleiderer, Briggs, and others.\n\n 26 As by Weizs\u00e4cker, J\u00fclicher, Bousset, Moffatt, and others. For a\n short consensus of modern theories see _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev.,\n Intr., pp. 292\u201094, which affords a good illustration of wide and\n extravagant guessing.\n\n 27 This objection to the modern critical view is one of evident force,\n and deserves thoughtful consideration, Cf. Swete\u2019s _Apoc. of St.\n John_, Intr., pp. xlix and cliii, which maintains the literary unity\n of the book.\n\n 28 As Porter, Scott, and others.\n\n 29 See Porter\u2019s article \u201cRevelation,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; and\n Scott\u2019s Intr. to Rev., _New Cent. Bib._\n\n 30 Cf. Reynolds, Intr. to John\u2019s Gosp., _Pulpit Com._, p. lxvii;\n Riddle, _S. S. Times_, Jun. 1, 1901; and Burton, in _Records and\n Letters of the Apost. Age_, notes, p. 229.\n\n 31 \u201cThe common opinion has returned to the traditional date, the\n closing years of Domitian\u2019s reign (81\u201096).\u201d Votaw, \u201cApoc. of John,\u201d\n _Biblical World_, Nov. 1908.\n\n 32 See Weizs\u00e4cker\u2019s _Apostolic Age_, vol. ii. pp. 173\u2010205; also\n _Moffatt\u2019s Hist. New Test._, p. 45f.\n\n 33 Cf. Farrar, _Early Days of Christianity_, pp. 510\u201013f.\n\n 34 \u201cNero\u2019s massacre was a freak of personal violence,\u201d and \u201chad nothing\n whatever to do with the imperial cultus.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._,\n Rev., Intr., p. 310. Mommsen\u2019s view (_Prov. Rom. Emp._, vol. ii, pp.\n 214\u201017 note) is that the historical situation reflected in the\n Apocalypse indicates that it was written after Nero\u2019s fall, and the\n destruction of Jerusalem; and that the references to persecution\n imply a regular judicial procedure on account of refusal to worship\n the emperor\u2019s image, a feature quite different from the Neronian\n period in which the executions on the ground of alleged incendiarism\n &c., do not formally belong to the class of religious processes at\n all. He would not, however, date it so late as Domitian, preferring\n a date somewhere between A. D. 69 and 79, toward the end of the\n reign of Vespasian. Bartlett puts the probable date about A. D.\n 75\u201080 (see his _Apost. Age_, p. 404). Such views of the date are\n interesting but exceptional.\n\n 35 The book seems to mark a transition in the Roman Empire from\n tolerance to hostility, when it began to insist upon idolatrous\n worship, and that more properly belongs to a period later than the\n time of Nero. Cf. Mommsen\u2019s view in the preceding note.\n\n 36 See \u201cRev. and Johan. Epist.,\u201d by A. Ramsay, _Westmin. New Test._, p.\n 8.\n\n 37 See map at the beginning of this volume.\n\n 38 Cf. Dean Stanley\u2019s \u201cSermons in the East,\u201d p. 230, quoted in _Bib.\n Com._, Intr., sec. 4.\n\n 39 \u201cThe extreme skepticism which denies even the presence of the\n Apostle in Ephesus (as Keim and others), is purely modern. The\n tradition of the survival of \u2018the beloved disciple\u2019 in Ephesus \u2018down\n to the times of Trajan\u2019 is widespread, uncontradicted,\n circumstantial ... the counter evidence is trivial\u201d (Bacon\u2019s _Intr.\n to New Test._, p. 231). \u201cThe proof given by Iren\u00e6us from Polycarp\n ... is more than tradition, it is direct documentary evidence\u201d\n (Weizs\u00e4cker, _Apost. Age_, vol. ii, p. 168).\n\n 40 Cf. Reynolds, art. \u201cJohn, the Gospel of\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._;\n also Lee Intr. to Rev., _Bib. Com._\n\n 41 For a discussion of this literature see App\u2019x G, also art. \u201cApoc.\n Lit.\u201d by Charles, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; Drummond, _The Jewish\n Messiah_, pp. 3\u2010132; Sch\u00fcrer, _The Jewish People in Time of Christ_,\n Div. II, vol. iii, p. 44 sqq; Stuart _Com. on Rev._, Intr. pp.\n 20\u201098; Driver, \u201cBk. of Daniel\u201d, in _Camb. Bib._, Intr., pp. lxxvi\u2010\n lxxxv; Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., Intr., pp. 13\u201034; also art.\n \u201cApocalypse\u201d in _Jewish Encyc._\n\n 42 For a good statement of the present use of the term, see art.\n \u201cApocalyptic,\u201d _Jewish Encyc._, vol. I; also art. \u201cApoc. Lit.\u201d,\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Chr. and Gosp._\n\n 43 See K\u00f6nig, art. \u201cSymbol\u201d in Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, vol. v, p.\n 169f., who says, \u201cWhat the metaphor is in the sphere of speech, the\n symbol is in the sphere of things.\u201d Also see remarks by Milligan in\n _Lect\u2019s. on Apoc._, ch. I, under the head of \u201cVisions and Symbols,\u201d\n p. 13f. For a fine discriminative view of the place of symbols in\n Oriental poetry, see Moulton\u2019s _Mod. Read. Bib._, \u201cBib. Idyls,\u201d\n Intr., pp. xx\u2010xxif.\n\n 44 It is not meant by this to imply that symbols as a class can\n ordinarily be presented to the eye, or effectively depicted upon\n canvas. In fact no symbol in the Apocalypse can be reproduced in\n scenic form without doing manifest injustice to the thought and\n purpose of the writer.\n\n 45 Milligan identifies the Apocalypse of John too closely with that\n discourse, making it mainly a development of its principal ideas.\n See his _Lect\u2019s. on Apoc._, p. 42f.\n\n 46 Moulton uses the term \u201crhapsody\u201d in a technical sense to describe\n the literary form of Hebrew dramatic prophecy, which affords a\n helpful and convenient nomenclature. See _Mod. Read. Bib._, vol.\n John, notes, p. 191, also vol. Isa., Intr., pp. vii\u2010xii.\n\n 47 The Greek words \u03bc\u03c5\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd and \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03ba\u03ac\u03bb\u03c5\u03c8\u03b9\u03c2 are commonly used in the\n New Testament as correlative terms, signifying the once secret or\n hidden in contrast with the now discovered or partially revealed.\n See art. \u201cMystery,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 48 Moulton\u2019s _Intr. to Litr. of Bib._, p. 326.\n\n 49 See Append. G, on Apocalyptic Literature.\n\n 50 It belongs to the innermost purpose of Jewish Apocalyptic \u201cto\n attempt to answer the question how and when the dominion of the\n world possessed so long by heathen nations, will finally be\n delivered to the people of God.\u201d, Hilgenfeld, quoted by D\u00fcsterdieck,\n Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, p. 34.\n\n 51 As Renan, and others.\n\n 52 Purves, art. \u201cRev.\u201d, Davis\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; Milligan, _Lect. on\n Apoc._, p. 153f.; and Lee, _Bib. Com._, Intr. to Rev., pp. 491\u20102.\n\n 53 With correct insight, it has been well said, that \u201cthe ancient\n commentators beheld in the visions of the Apocalypse not a prophetic\n history of the Christian church, so much as a figurative\n representation of the contest going on in the world between the evil\n and the good. And the moral of the book, the end for which it was\n given, (according to the spirit of these interpretations), was to\n assure the righteous of their ultimate triumph, notwithstanding the\n apparent or temporary success of the powers of darkness.\u201d Todd\u2019s\n \u201cDiscourses on Prophecy\u201d, quoted in T. L. Scott\u2019s _Paragraph Version\n of Revelation_, opening page.\n\n 54 As Milligan, Plummer, Lee, Riddle, Purves, Warfield, and others.\n\n 55 Dods\u2019 _Intr. to New Test._, p. 244.\n\n 56 Harnack, art. \u201cRev.\u201d, _Encyc. Brit._; also McGiffert, _Apos. Age_,\n p. 624; and Porter, art. \u201cRev.\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 57 See \u201cAnalytical Conspectus\u201d by Randell on p. xxvii of vol. on Rev.\n in _Pulp. Com._\n\n 58 Moulton, vol. St. John, notes, p. 195, _Mod. Read. Bib._\n\n 59 \u201cMost of the prophetic books (in the Old Testament) lend themselves\n to a seven\u2010fold arrangement.... All that is implied in such a\n feature of style is an extreme sense of orderly arrangement; and to\n the Hebrew mind order suggests the number seven\u201d (the number of\n fulness or completeness of quality), _Mod. Read. Bib._, Mat., Intr.\n p. xi.\n\n 60 See also App\u2019x F., diagram.\n\n 61 See Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, vol. St. John, Intr. p. xxii.\n\n 62 See Foreword, p. 9.\n\n 63 \u201cThe influence of the _Bk. of Enoch_ on the New Testament has been\n greater than that of all the other apocryphal and pseudepigraphical\n books taken together.\u201d _Book of Enoch_ (Charles). Gen. Intr., p. 41.\n\n M1 The Book Described\n\n 64 Or, _gave unto him, to show unto his servants the things_ &c.\n\n 65 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n 66 Or, _them_.\n\n M2 A Blessing Pronounced\n M3 The Address and Greeting\n\n 67 Or, _who cometh_.\n\n 68 Many authorities, some ancient, read _washed_. Heb. 9.14; comp. ch.\n 7.14.\n\n 69 Gr. _in_.\n\n 70 Or, _God and his Father_.\n\n 71 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_. Many ancient authorities omit _of\n the ages_.\n\n M4 The Coming Christ\n M5 The Responsive Message\n\n 72 Or, _he who_.\n\n M6 The Trumpet Voice\n\n 73 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n M7 The Glorious King\u2010Priest\n\n 74 Gr. _lampstands_.\n\n 75 Gr. _lampstands_.\n\n M8 A Message of Reassurance\n\n 76 Gr. _became_.\n\n 77 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n 78 Gr. _upon_.\n\n 79 Gr. _lampstands_.\n\n 80 Gr. _lampstands_.\n\n M9 The Epistle to Ephesus\n\n 81 Gr. _lampstands_.\n\n 82 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n 83 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n 84 Gr. _lampstand_.\n\n 85 Or, _garden_: as in Gen. 2.8.\n\n M10 The Epistle to Smyrna\n\n 86 Gr. _became_.\n\n 87 Or, _reviling_.\n\n 88 Some ancient authorities read _and may have_.\n\n 89 Gr. _a tribulation of ten days_.\n\n M11 The Epistle to Pergamum\n\n 90 The Greek text here is somewhat uncertain.\n\n M12 The Epistle to Thyatira\n\n 91 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n 92 Many authorities, some ancient, read _thy wife_.\n\n 93 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n 94 Many ancient authorities read _their_.\n\n 95 Or, _pestilence_. Sept., Ex. 5.3, &c.\n\n 96 Or, _Gentiles_.\n\n 97 Or, _iron; as vessels of the potter, are they broken_.\n\n M13 The Epistle to Sardis\n\n 98 Many ancient authorities read _not found thy works_.\n\n M14 The Epistle to Philadelphia\n\n 99 Gr. _given_.\n\n 100 The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a\n creature or to the Creator.\n\n 101 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n 102 Or, _temptation_.\n\n 103 Gr. _inhabited earth_.\n\n 104 Or, _tempt_.\n\n 105 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n M15 The Epistle to Laodicea\n M16 A Door Opened in Heaven\n\n 106 Or, _come to pass. After these things straightway_, &c.\n\n M17 The Throne and the King\n M18 The Four and Twenty Elders\n M19 The Seven Lamps of Fire\n M20 The Four Living Creatures\n\n 107 Or, _glassy sea_.\n\n 108 Or, _before_. See ch. 7.17. comp. 5.6.\n\n 109 Or, _who cometh_.\n\n M21 The Creation Chorus\n\n 110 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n 111 The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a\n creature or to the Creator.\n\n 112 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n M22 The Sealed Book\n\n 113 Gr. _on_.\n\n M23 The Lamb\n\n 114 Or, _between the throne with the four living creatures, and the\n elders_.\n\n 115 Some ancient authorities omit _seven_.\n\n M24 The Book Taken and Worship Rendered\n\n 116 Gr. _hath taken_.\n\n M25 The Redemption Chorus\n\n 117 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n 118 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M26 The First Seal\n\n 119 Some ancient authorities add _and see_.\n\n M27 The Second Seal\n\n 120 Some ancient authorities read _the peace of the earth_.\n\n M28 The Third Seal\n\n 121 Or, _A choenix_ (_i. e._ about a quart,) _of wheat for a\n shilling_\u2014implying great scarcity. Comp. Ezek. 4.16 f.; 5.16.\n\n 122 See marginal note on Mt. 18.28.\n\n M29 The Fourth Seal\n\n 123 Or, _pestilence_. Comp. ch. 2.23 marg.\n\n M30 The Fifth Seal\n\n 124 Some ancient authorities read _be fulfilled_ in number. _II Esdr._\n 4.36.\n\n M31 The Sixth Seal\n\n 125 Or, _military tribunes_. Gr. _chiliarchs_.\n\n M32 The Angels Holding the Winds\n\n 126 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n M33 The Number Sealed from the Tribes\n M34 The Countless Multitude\n M35 The Salvation Chorus\n\n 127 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 128 Gr. _The blessing, and the glory_, &c.\n\n 129 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n M36 The Great Reward\n\n 130 Gr. _have said_.\n\n 131 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 132 Or, _before_. See ch. 4.6; comp. 5.6.\n\n M37 The Seventh Seal\n M38 Seven Angels Given Seven Trumpets\n M39 The Angel with the Incense\n\n 133 Or, _at_.\n\n 134 Gr. _give_.\n\n 135 Or, _for_.\n\n 136 Gr. _hath taken_.\n\n 137 Or, _into_.\n\n M40 The Trumpets Made Ready to Sound\n M41 The First Trumpet\n M42 The Second Trumpet\n M43 The Third Trumpet\n M44 The Fourth Trumpet\n M45 The Eagle\u2010Cry\n\n 138 Gr. _one eagle_.\n\n M46 The Fifth Trumpet\n\n 139 Gr. _likenesses_.\n\n 140 That is, _Destroyer_.\n\n M47 The First Woe Ended\n M48 The Sixth Trumpet\n\n 141 Gr. _one voice_.\n\n 142 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M49 The Angel Coming Down Out of Heaven\n M50 The Thunder\u2010Voices\n M51 The Mystery of God to End\n\n 143 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n 144 Some ancient authorities omit _and the sea and the things that are\n therein_.\n\n 145 Or, _time_.\n\n 146 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n M52 The Book Eaten\n\n 147 Or, _concerning_. Comp. Jn. 12.16.\n\n M53 The Temple Measured\n\n 148 Gr. _saying_.\n\n 149 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 150 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 151 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 152 Gr. _cast without_.\n\n 153 Or, _Gentiles_.\n\n M54 The Two Witnesses with Power\n\n 154 Gr. _lampstands_.\n\n M55 Their Testimony Finished\n\n 155 Gr. _carcase_.\n\n M56 Their Resurrection and Ascension\n\n 156 Gr. _names of men, seven thousand_. Comp. ch. 3\u20104.\n\n M57 The Second Woe Ended\n M58 The Seventh Trumpet\n\n 157 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n M59 The Victory Chorus\n\n 158 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 159 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n M60 Tokens of Judgment\n\n 160 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 161 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n M61 The Woman\u2019s Glory and the Dragon\u2019s Power\n M62 The All\u2010Ruling Man\u2010Child\n\n 162 Or, _Gentiles_.\n\n M63 The Woman\u2019s Escape\n M64 Michael Warring with the Dragon\n\n 163 Gr. _inhabited earth_.\n\n M65 Satan\u2019s Downfall Proclaimed\n\n 164 Or, _Now is the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom, become\n our God\u2019s, and the authority is become his Christ\u2019s_.\n\n 165 Gr. _tabernacle_.\n\n M66 Persecution of the Woman and Her Seed\n\n 166 Some ancient authorities read _I stood_, &c. connecting the clause\n with what follows.\n\n M67 First Beast\u2014the Beast from the Sea\n\n 167 Gr. _slain_.\n\n 168 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 169 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 170 Or, _to do_ his works _during_. See Dan. 11.28.\n\n 171 Gr. _tabernacle_.\n\n 172 Some ancient authorities omit _And it was given ... overcome them_.\n\n 173 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 174 Or, _written in the book ... slain from the foundation of the\n world_.\n\n M68 An Admonition to Patience\n\n 175 The Greek text in this verse is somewhat uncertain.\n\n 176 Or, _leadethinto captivity_.\n\n 177 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n M69 The Second Beast\u2014the Beast from the Land\n\n 178 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 179 Some ancient authorities read _that even the image of the beast\n should speak; and he shall cause_ &c.\n\n 180 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M70 An Admonition to Wisdom\n\n 181 Some ancient authorities read _Six hundred and sixteen_.\n\n M71 The Lamb and His Company\n M72 The Incommunicable Chorus\n M73 The Purity of the Redeemed\n M74 The Message of the Eternal Gospel\n\n 182 Or, _an eternal gospel_.\n\n 183 Gr. _sit_.\n\n 184 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M75 The Message of Babylon\u2019s Fall\n M76 The Message of Doom for the Beast and His Followers\n\n 185 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 186 Gr. _mingled_.\n\n 187 Gr. _unto ages of ages_.\n\n 188 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M77 The Test of Patience\n\n 189 Or, _stedfastness_.\n\n M78 The Blessedness of the Holy Dead\n\n 190 Or, _in the Lord. From henceforth, yea saith the Spirit_.\n\n M79 The Harvest of the Elect\n\n 191 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 192 Gr. _become dry_.\n\n M80 The Vintage of Wrath\n\n 193 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 194 Gr. _vine_.\n\n M81 The Angels with the Plagues\n M82 The Victors by the Sea\n\n 195 Or, _glassy sea_.\n\n 196 Or, _upon_.\n\n 197 Or, _glassy sea_.\n\n M83 The Chorus of Moses and the Lamb\n\n 198 Gr. _bondservant_.\n\n 199 Many ancient authorities read _nations_. Jer. 10.7.\n\n 200 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M84 The Temple in Heaven Opened\n\n 201 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 202 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 203 Many ancient authorities read _in linen_, ch. 19.8.\n\n 204 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n 205 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 206 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n M85 The Command to Pour Out the Vials\n\n 207 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n M86 The First Vial\n\n 208 Or, _there came_.\n\n 209 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M87 The Second Vial\n\n 210 Gr. _soul of life_.\n\n M88 The Third Vial\n\n 211 Some ancient authorities read _and they became_.\n\n 212 Or, _judge. Because they ... prophets, thou hast given them blood\n also to drink_.\n\n M89 The Fourth Vial\n\n 213 Or, _him_.\n\n M90 The Fifth Vial\n M91 The Sixth Vial\n M92 The Three Unclean Spirits\n\n 214 Or, _upon_.\n\n 215 Gr. _inhabited earth_.\n\n M93 The Warning Voice\n\n 216 Or, _Ar\u2010Magedon_.\n\n M94 The Seventh Vial\n\n 217 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 218 Some ancient authorities read _there was a man_.\n\n 219 Or, _Gentiles_.\n\n M95 The Judgment of the Great Harlot\n M96 Babylon the Harlot City\n\n 220 Or, _names full of blasphemy_.\n\n 221 Gr. _gilded_.\n\n 222 Or, _and of the unclean things_.\n\n 223 Or, _a mystery, Babylon the Great_.\n\n 224 Or, _witnesses_. See ch. 2.13.\n\n M97 The Mystery of the Woman and the Beast is Told\n\n 225 Some ancient authorities read _and he goeth_.\n\n 226 Gr. _on_.\n\n 227 Gr. _shall be present_.\n\n M98 The Kings that War against the Lamb\n\n 228 Or, _meaning_.\n\n 229 Or, _there are_.\n\n M99 The Harlot Made Desolate\n\n 230 Gr. _hath a kingdom_.\n\n M100 The Fall of the Great City Proclaimed\n\n 231 Or, _prison_.\n\n 232 Some authorities read _of the wine_ ... _have drunk_.\n\n 233 Some ancient authorities omit _the wine of_.\n\n 234 Or, _luxury_.\n\n M101 God\u2019s People Called Out of Her\n\n 235 Or, _clave together_.\n\n 236 Or, _luxurious_.\n\n 237 Some ancient authorities omit _the Lord_.\n\n M102 The Lament of the Kings of the Earth over Her Doom\n\n 238 Or, _luxuriously_.\n\n M103 The Lament of the Merchants of the Earth\n\n 239 Gr. _cargo_.\n\n 240 Gr. _amomum_.\n\n 241 Gr. _bodies_. Gen. 36.6 (Sept.).\n\n 242 Or, _lives_.\n\n 243 Gr. _gilded_.\n\n M104 The Lament of the Seamen from Afar\n\n 244 Gr. _work the sea_.\n\n M105 The Holy Bidden to Rejoice\n M106 The Ruin Complete\n\n 245 Gr. _one_.\n\n 246 Some ancient authorities omit _of whatsoever craft_.\n\n M107 The Voice of a Great Multitude\n\n 247 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n M108 The Hallelujah Chorus\n\n 248 Gr. _have said_.\n\n 249 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n 250 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M109 The Array of the Bride\n M110 The Blessedness of the Marriage Supper\n M111 Worship Refused by the Angel\n\n 251 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 252 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M112 The Conqueror on the White Horse (The Beginning of the End)\n\n 253 Some ancient authorities omit _called_.\n\n 254 Some ancient authorities read _dipped in_.\n\n 255 Gr. _winepress of the wine of the fierceness_.\n\n M113 The Call to the Birds of Mid Heaven\n\n 256 Gr. _one_.\n\n 257 Or, _military tribunes_ Gr. _chiliarchs_.\n\n M114 The Beast and the False Prophet Taken\n\n 258 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M115 Satan Bound\n\n 259 Gr. _upon_.\n\n M116 The First Resurrection and the Millennial Reign\n\n 260 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M117 The Blessedness of the Millennial Period\n\n 261 Or, _authority_.\n\n 262 Some ancient authorities read _the_.\n\n M118 Satan Loosed Again and Overthrown (The War of Gog and Magog)\n\n 263 Some ancient authorities insert _from God_.\n\n 264 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n M119 The Second Resurrection and the Final Judgment\n M120 The New Creation\n M121 The Holy City\n\n 265 Or, the _holy city Jerusalem coming down new out of heaven_.\n\n M122 A Great Voice Out of the Throne\n\n 266 Gr. _tabernacle_.\n\n 267 Some ancient authorities omit, and be _their God_.\n\n M123 All Things Made New\n\n 268 Or, _Write, These words are faithful and true_.\n\n M124 The City the Bride of Christ\n M125 The Glory of the New Jerusalem from Afar\n\n 269 Gr. _luminary_.\n\n 270 Gr. _portals_.\n\n 271 Gr. _portals_.\n\n M126 The Measure of the City\n M127 The Materials of Her Building\n\n 272 Or, _lapis lazuli_.\n\n 273 Or, _sapphire_.\n\n 274 Or, _transparent as glass_.\n\n M128 The Glory Within\n\n 275 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 276 Or, _sanctuary_.\n\n 277 Or, _and the Lamb, the lamp thereof_.\n\n 278 Or, _by_.\n\n 279 Gr. _common_.\n\n 280 Or, _doeth_.\n\n M129 The River and Tree of Life\n\n 281 Or, _the Lamb. In the midst of the street thereof, and on either\n side of the river, was the tree of life_, &c.\n\n 282 Or, _a tree_.\n\n 283 Or, _crops of fruit_.\n\n M130 The Beatific Vision\n\n 284 Or, _no more anything accursed_.\n\n 285 Gr. _bondservants_.\n\n 286 Gr. _unto the ages of the ages_.\n\n M131 The Message Reaffirmed\n M132 Worship Again Refused by the Angel\n\n 287 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n 288 See marginal note on ch. 3.9.\n\n M133 The Book Not to Be Sealed\n\n 289 Or, _yet more_.\n\n M134 Christ\u2019s Promise to the Victors\n\n 290 Or, _wages_.\n\n 291 Or, the _authority over_ Comp. ch. 6.8.\n\n 292 Gr. _portals_.\n\n 293 Or, _doeth_ Comp. ch. 21.27.\n\n M135 Christ the Morning Star\n\n 294 Gr. _over_.\n\n M136 A Universal Invitation\n\n 295 Or, _Both_.\n\n M137 John\u2019s Witness and Warning\n\n 296 Gr. _upon_.\n\n 297 Or, even from _the things which are written_.\n\n M138 A Last Promise of Hope and Prayer of Yearning\n M139 The Blessing on the Saints\n\n 298 Some ancient authorities add _Christ_.\n\n 299 Two ancient authorities read _with all_.\n\n 300 Bacon, _Intr. to New Test._, p. 235; and _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p.\n 160.\n\n 301 As held by Seiss and others, following Heinrich, who make the topic\n of the Revelation Christ in his Second Advent, contrary to the\n generally accepted exegesis.\n\n 302 Alford, Plummer, Lee, Milligan, and others, as against D\u00fcsterdieck,\n Stuart, and the preterists generally.\n\n 303 \u201cIt means the revelation which Jesus makes, not that which reveals\n him.... Revelation \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03ba\u03ac\u03bb\u03c5\u03c8\u03b9\u03c2 is a word reserved for the Gospel; no\n Old Testament prophecy is called a revelation.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp.\n Com._, Rev., p. 1; also cf. D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, pp.\n 94\u201095.\n\n 304 \u201cThe testimony of Jesus Christ, like the revelation of Jesus Christ,\n means that which he gave, not that which tells about him.\u201d Plummer,\n _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 2.\n\n 305 Simcox, _Camb. Gr. Test._, Rev., p. 41; Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev.,\n p. 2; also cf. Moulton, _Intr. to Litr. of Bib._, p. 312, who says,\n \u201cA careful reading will show that these words are to be understood,\n not as a part of the revelation, but as the writer\u2019s (or editor\u2019s)\n comment upon the book.\u201d This view, it will be seen, does not affect\n the sense of the verses, but only their origin.\n\n 306 \u201cUnderstanding can only know what is, has been, or will be. It is\n impossible for anything to exist for understanding otherwise than as\n a matter of fact it does exist in those three relations of time.\u201d\n (Kant, _Critique of Pure Reason_, Watson\u2019s \u201cSelections,\u201d p. 186; or,\n in a slightly different translation, Edition of Meiklejohn, p. 307).\n It is important for us to note that God is thus presented as\n comprehending in himself all the possibilities of existence in human\n understanding.\n\n 307 For the view that the origin of this conception is to be found in\n the later Jewish literature rather than in the Old Testament, see\n Scott in _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 126. Swete interprets, \u201cHere the\n spirits are seven, because the churches in which they operate are\n seven.\u201d _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 6.\n\n 308 R. V. \u201cloosed us from our sins by his blood.\u201d \u201cThe insertion or\n omission of a single letter (in the Greek word) makes the difference\n between the A. V. \u2018washed\u2019 and the R. V. \u2018loosed.\u2019 The manuscript\n evidence for each is very evenly balanced; the other evidence\n likewise. On the whole, the old reading, \u2018washed,\u2019 seems more in\n harmony with the thought of the book and with Johannine diction in\n general.\u201d _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 127.\n\n 309 \u201cThe continuous return (the coming of the Lord in the power of the\n Spirit) prefacing, heralding the full manifestation of his might and\n glory, is the grand theme of the Apocalypse.\u201d Reynolds, _Pulp.\n Com._, John\u2019s Gospel, Intr., p. lxxxvi.\n\n 310 This title, \u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03ba\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03c1 \u201cthe Almighty,\u201d is used nine times in\n Revelation, and only once elsewhere in the New Testament (II Cor.\n 6:18).\n\n 311 Tribulation is the pervading undertone of the whole book. \u201cThe\n moving spirit of the vision in the Apocalypse is the sufferings of\n the church\u201d (Ramsay, _The Church in the Roman Empire_, p. 295). \u201cThe\n ethical keynote is patience\u201d (_New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 129).\n\n 312 See notes on \u201cThe Place\u201d in the Introduction to this volume.\n\n 313 \u201cThe earliest use of the name (the Lord\u2019s day) is in this passage,\u201d\n Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 130; Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev.,\n p. 5.\n\n 314 See Scott, art. \u201cRev.,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Chr. and Gosp._\n\n 315 \u201cThe vision of the Divine Christ in Rev. 1 dominates every\n subsequent paragraph in the Apocalypse.\u201d Reynolds, art. \u201cGosp. of\n John,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 316 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 7; also see Thayer\u2019s _Gr. Lex. of\n New Test._\n\n 317 \u201cThe association of angels with stars was a common Semitic idea.\u201d\n (Moulton). Each star was conceived of by the Jews as having its\n angel, as also every force and phenomenon of nature had its separate\n angel. It is not strange, therefore, that John grouped them in his\n thought.\n\n 318 Milligan, _Internat. Com._, vol. iv, Rev., p. 36; also Plummer,\n _Pulp. Com._, Rev. p. 8. For the other view see Faussett, J. F. & B.\n _Com. on Rev._, p. 589; Stuart, _Com. on Apoc._, pp. 460\u20101; and\n Trench, _Ep\u2019s to Seven Ch\u2019s_, p. 75f.\n\n 319 \u201cThis last image is not so strange as it appears at first sight, for\n the short Roman sword was tongue\u2010like in shape.\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of\n Bib._, art. \u201cSword.\u201d\n\n 320 An indication of divine power as well as victory; for \u201cit was part\n of the teaching of the Rabbinic schools that the key of death was\n one of four (the keys of life, the grave, food, and rain) which were\n in the hand of God alone.\u201d _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 133.\n\n 321 \u201cThe word mystery is not used in the Bible in the modern sense of\n \u2018something that cannot be fathomed or understood,\u2019 but on the\n contrary it indicates either something which is waiting to be\n revealed or that which when explained conveys understanding. In the\n latter sense it comes near to our word \u2018Symbol.\u2019 And this is the\n sense in which it is to be taken here and in ch. xxii. 7.\u201d (_New\n Cent. Bib._, Rev., pp. 133\u20104). In the general and broader sense,\n however, \u201cThe term \u03bc\u03c5\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd in the New Testament means truths once\n hidden now revealed, made generally known, and in their own nature\n perfectly intelligible.\u201d Bruce, _Exp. Gr. Test._, vol. I, p. 196.\n\n 322 See art. \u201cRev.\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; also \u201c_New Test. Doctr.\n of Rev._\u201d in the same work, vol. V. p. 334e.\n\n 323 Milligan, _Lect. on Apoc._, p. 16.\n\n 324 Asia in the New Testament (with the possible exception of Acts 2:9)\n always means the Roman province of that name, which embraced only\n the western part of what we now call Asia Minor, and consisted of\n Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and part of Phrygia, with the islands of the\n coast,\u2014see the map in the beginning of this volume. \u201cAsia was one of\n the most wealthy and populous and intellectually active of the Roman\n provinces,\u201d Ramsay, art. \u201cAsia.\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 325 Ramsay, _Letters to Seven Ch\u2019s._, p. 35.\n\n 326 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 3; Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_,\n Intr., p. liv, and p. 4.\n\n 327 Milligan, _Lect. on Apoc._, p. 38; _Stuart_, _Com. on Apoc._, pp.\n 101\u201016, and Excur. II, p. 747 in same volume; also see App\u2019x E in\n this volume on the \u201cSymbolism of Numbers.\u201d\n\n 328 Sayce, Hibbert Lect\u2019s on _Origin and Growth of Religion_, p. 82.\n\n 329 So Milligan, Plummer, and others\u2014see notes in Ch. 20:2f.\n\n 330 \u201cProbably the most striking feature of the Seven Letters is the tone\n of unhesitating and unlimited authority which inspires them from\n beginning to end.\u201d Ramsay, _Letters to Seven Churches_, p. 75.\n\n 331 See Ramsay\u2019s _Letters to the Seven Churches_, where there will be\n found much accurate information concerning the seven cities that is\n based upon an extended residence in those cities, and careful\n personal investigation. A more concise account by the same author is\n given in Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, in the separate articles upon\n each city.\n\n 332 Moulton\u2019s _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 196.\n\n 333 The exhortation to \u201chear what the Spirit saith to the churches\u201d\n applies not only to what is contained in the seven epistles, but to\n the entire Apocalypse which follows. See Ramsay\u2019s _Letters to Seven\n Ch\u2019s_, p. 38.\n\n 334 Paradise is the word used in the Septuagint for Eden. It occurs but\n three times in the New Testament. It originally signified a park or\n garden such as was used by Oriental monarchs for a pleasure\u2010ground,\n but in Christian usage it becomes a name for the scene of rest and\n recompense for the righteous after death. See art. \u201cParadise\u201d by\n Salmond, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 335 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., pp. 59\u201060.\n\n 336 Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 30.\n\n 337 Pergamus, though a rarer form, is preferable to Pergamos (A. V.), or\n Pergamum (R. V.) as the designation of the city, owing to its softer\n sound for the English ear, though the form is otherwise indifferent.\n See Ramsay\u2019s art. \u201cPergamus,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._ \u201c\u1f29 \u03a0\u03ad\u03c1\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2\n is found in Xenophon, Pausanius, and Dion Cassius, but \u03c4\u1f78 \u03a0\u03ad\u03c1\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\n in Strabo, and Polybius, and most other writers, and in the\n inscriptions; the termination is left uncertain in Apoc. i.11 and\n ii.12.\u201d Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 33.\n\n 338 \u201cPergamum was the first place in Asia where as early as the reign of\n Augustus was erected a temple to Rome and the Emperor,\u201d Salmon,\n _Hist. Intr. to New Test._, p. 239. \u201cAn allusion to the rampant\n paganism of Pergamum ... but chiefly perhaps to the new Caesar\n worship in which Pergamum was preeminent and which above all other\n pagan rites menaced the existence of the Church,\u201d Swete, _Apoc. of\n St. John_, p. 34.\n\n 339 \u201cThe name Balaam does not indicate a sect, but a set of principles.\u201d\n Briggs, _Mess. of Gospels_, p. 451; also see _New Cent. Bib._, Rev.,\n p. 143.\n\n 340 This identification is suggested by the present author as a probable\n one, for jade is the most notable white stone that was in use in\n ancient times, and it is still highly prized for seals, charms, and\n kindred purposes in China and the Far East. Dr. Schlieman found\n implements made from the coarser kinds of it in the immediate region\n of Pergamus among the relics of the oldest of the cities in the\n excavations at Hissarlik, the mound of ancient Ilium, near Troas;\n and a jade celt engraved with Gnostic formul\u00e6 in Greek characters is\n preserved in the Christy collection. See art. \u201cJade,\u201d _Encyc. Brit._\n\n 341 Trench, _Ep\u2019s to Seven Churches_, pp. 178\u201080. Trench\u2019s view,\n however, that the Urim and Thummim consisted of a single stone is\n not correct, though his interpretation of this passage is as usual\n very suggestive. See art. \u201cUrim and Thummim\u201d in Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of\n Bib._\n\n 342 See Trench, Stuart, Plummer, Lee, Scott, and others. Lange says\n concisely, \u201cTwo meanings attached to the white stone among the\n Greeks, viz. acquittal in judgment, and the award of some rank or\n dignity.\u201d Lange\u2019s (_Com. on Rev._, p. 121). Swete says \u201cThe white\n stone is the pledge of the divine favor which carries with it such\n intimate knowledge of God and Christ as only the possessor can\n comprehend.\u201d (_Apoc. of St. John_, p. 40).\n\n 343 See art. \u201cSignet,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 344 Hilprecht, _S. S. Times_, Sept. 10, 1904, art. \u201cBabylonian Life in\n the Time of Ezra and Nehemiah.\u201d\n\n 345 Weizs\u00e4cker thinks the new name is \u201cthe \u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 of John\u2019s Gospel\u201d\n (_Apost. Age_, vol. II p. 171); but by \u201cnew\u201d is more likely meant a\n hitherto unknown name. Stevens interprets it as \u201ca symbol for the\n Messiah,\u201d (_Theol. of New Test._, p. 540). On the other hand Scott\n says, \u201cA new name stands for a new character.\u201d (_New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., p. 143); and Ramsay regards it as \u201cperhaps an allusion to the\n custom of taking new and secret baptismal names,\u201d (art. \u201cPergamus,\u201d\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._); also D\u00fcsterdieck thinks that the name\n applies to the Christian (_Com. on Rev._, p. 148); and Swete holds\n the same view (_Apoc. of St. John_, p. 40). \u201cWhite\u201d and \u201cnew\u201d as\n Trench points out, are \u201ckey\u2010words\u201d in the Apocalypse (_Ep\u2019s to Seven\n Ch\u2019s_, p. 172).\n\n 346 Ramsay explains, \u201cThere had been a Jewish colony planted in\n Thyatira, and a hybrid sort of worship had been developed, half\n Jewish, half pagan, which is called in Revelation the woman\n Jezebel,\u201d (_Paul the Trav. and Rom. Cit._, p. 215). Scott thinks it\n \u201cmost probable that the reference is to some well\u2010known and\n influential woman within the church at Thyatira, whose influence on\n the Christian community was parallel to that of Jezebel upon Ahab\u2014a\n self\u2010styled prophetess, whose teaching and example were alike\n destructive of Christian morality,\u201d (_New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p.\n 147). Sch\u00fcrer also holds that Jezebel denoted a definite woman,\n (Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, art. \u201cThyatira\u201d). Plummer finds in the\n name a unity of symbolism with other parts of the book, thus,\n \u201cJezebel anticipates the harlot of ch. 17, as Balaam anticipates the\n false prophet of ch. 13\u201d (_Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 66).\n\n 347 Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 42.\n\n 348 \u201cTo become acquainted with \u2018the depths,\u2019 (i. e. the deep things of\n divinity, as they would say\u2014called here \u2018the deep things of Satan\u2019\n in irony) was an essential pretense of the Gnostics.\u201d D\u00fcsterdieck,\n Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, p. 152.\n\n 349 \u201cI will grant him to see the Morning\u2010star\u201d. Moffatt, _New Trans. of\n New Test._\n\n 350 \u201cThe word used is \u03ba\u03bb\u03ad\u03c0\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 a \u2018thief,\u2019 and not \u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03c4\u1f74\u03c2 a \u2018robber,\u2019\n showing that secrecy, not violence, is the point of the similitude.\u201d\n Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 108.\n\n 351 \u201cThe word \u2018white\u2019 (\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03ba\u1f78\u03c2), excepting in Mat. 5.36 and Jn. 4.35, is\n in the New Testament always used of _heavenly_ purity and\n brightness,\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 109.\n\n 352 The \u201cbook of life\u201d is mentioned seven times in the Revelation, an\n indication of the place it occupied in the writer\u2019s thought.\n\n 353 Ramsay, _Letters to Seven Ch\u2019s_, pp. 377\u201078.\n\n 354 Milligan, _Internat. Com._, Rev., p. 48.\n\n 355 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 136.\n\n 356 Ramsay, art. \u201cSardis,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 357 Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 53; and Ramsay, art. \u201cPhiladelphia,\u201d\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 358 Bousset\u2019s inference is scarcely justifiable:\u2014\u201cIt is the tone of\n immediate expectation of the end; the last great struggle throughout\n the whole inhabited world is at hand; the storm is drawing near;\n already the seer beholds the lightning flash\u201d. (_New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., pp. 153\u20104). Swete also interprets similarly, as referring to\n \u201cthe troublous times which precede the Parousia,\u201d and adds, \u201cThis\n final sifting of mankind was near at hand.\u201d (_Apoc. of St. John_, p.\n 55).\n\n 359 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 113; Wordsworth, quoted in _Bib.\n Com._, Rev., p. 547.\n\n 360 Ramsay, art. \u201cPhiladelphia,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; and his\n _Letters to Seven Ch\u2019s._, p. 400.\n\n 361 \u201cThe word \u2018Amen\u2019 is here used as a proper name of our Lord; and this\n is the only instance of such an application.... The \u2018faithful and\n true witness\u2019 is an amplification of the Amen\u201d. Plummer, _Pulp.\n Com._, Rev., pp. 114\u201015.\n\n 362 \u201cThe origin of God\u2019s creation.\u201d Moffatt, _New Translation of New\n Testament_.\n\n 363 \u201cLaodicea was the one famous medical centre in Phrygia.... The\n description of the medicine here mentioned is obscured by a\n mistranslation. It was not an ointment but a kollyrium, which had\n the form of small cylinders compounded of various ingredients, and\n was used either by simple application or by reduction to a powder to\n be smeared on the part.\u201d Ramsay, _Letters to Seven Ch\u2019s._, p. 429.\n\n 364 See art. \u201cLaodicea\u201d by Ramsay, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; and Swete,\n _Apoc. of St. John_, pp. 61\u20102.\n\n 365 See App\u2019x F, \u201cThe Literary Structure of the Apocalypse.\u201d\n\n 366 See Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, art. \u201cStones, Precious;\u201d also the\n separate arts. in the same work on the names of precious stones\n which we find in the Revelation. Plummer regards the jasper, which\n is further described in ch. 21:11 as being \u201cclear as crystal,\u201d to be\n the modern diamond, while Cheyne thinks it the opal, and Scott\n identifies the sardius with our carnelian.\n\n 367 The A. V. reads, \u201c_there was_ a sea of glass\u201d; the R. V. renders,\n \u201cas it were a glassy sea\u201d; and the Am. R. V. gives, \u201cas it were a\n sea of glass.\u201d The Revisers evidently regarded the phrase as a\n figurative way of describing the quiet of the sea. Alford, however,\n and Swete interpret literally as \u201ca sea of glass.\u201d\n\n 368 Cf. Faussett, J. F. & B. _Com. on Rev._, p. 625.\n\n 369 See _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 164.\n\n 370 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 145; Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p.\n 68.\n\n 371 \u201cThroughout the vision no past tense is used. The vision represents\n the worship of heaven (so far as it can be presented to human\n understanding) as it continues eternally.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._,\n Rev., p. 145.\n\n 372 Bleek, _Lect. on Apoc._, p. 199; Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 145.\n\n 373 _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 163.\n\n 374 _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 163.\n\n 375 For Bleek\u2019s view of the arrangement see notes on \u201cThe Lamb in the\n Midst of the Throne,\u201d under ch. 5:6\u20108a.\n\n 376 \u201cNo one can authoritatively affirm that created beings of a lower\n order than man will not in some sense share in the future life.\u201d A.\n A. Hodge, unpublished _Classroom Lectures_.\n\n 377 See in Am. R. V., I Sam. 4:4; II Sam. 6:2; II Ki. 1:9\u201015; I Chr.\n 13:6; Ps. 80:1, 99:1; Isa. 37:16; Ezek. 10:1\u201020.\n\n 378 Fairbairn regards the cherubim as typifying \u201cEarth\u2019s living\n creaturehood, especially man, its rational and immortal head\u201d. See\n his _Typology_, vol. 1, pp. 125\u2010208. Plummer similarly interprets\n the living beings as symbolical of all animal life, and suggests\n that the human face of the cherubim represents \u201chumanity as distinct\n from the church (which is represented by the four and twenty\n elders), and appears to indicate the power of God to use for his\n purposes and his glory that part of mankind which has not been\n received into the church.\u201d _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 146. Also see art.\n \u201cCherubim,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; and for an apocalyptic\n description of the cherubim, _Bk. of Enoch_ (ed. Charles), 14:11,\n 18; 20:7; 61:10; 76:7.\n\n 379 Stuart, _Com. on Apoc._, p. 515; also cf. D\u00fcsterdieck, and Plummer.\n Other definitions, though differing in statement, have a general\n similarity. For example, \u201cThe Book of Destiny\u201d (Bacon, _Intr. to New\n Test._, p. 284); \u201cThe Book of Doom\u201d (Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev.\n p. 382); \u201cThe Book of History\u201d (_Temple Bib._, Intr. to Rev., p.\n xxxvii); or, better still, \u201cThe Book of God\u2019s Counsels\u201d (Lee, _Bib.\n Com._, Rev., p. 563). Faussett, following De Burgh, makes the book\n \u201cThe Title\u2010deed of Man\u2019s Inheritance Redeemed by Christ\u201d (J. F. & B.\n _Com. on Rev._, p. 602). Seiss accepts this interpretation and\n explains further by reference to Jewish customs of land tenure\n (_Lects. on Apoc._, vol. i, p. 266f.). The definition preferred in\n the present volume is \u201cThe Book of God\u2019s Plan for the Ages.\u201d\n\n 380 \u201cA Roman will, when written, had to be sealed seven times in order\n to authenticate it, and some have argued that this explains the\n symbolism here\u201d (_Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev. p. 383); but this suggestion\n is of doubtful value when the Hebrew use of seven was so well\n established.\n\n 381 See D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, p. 207.\n\n 382 \u201cThe ability to open was a consequence of a former act of victory,\n viz. the redemption.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 164.\n\n 383 \u201cThe kingship of Christ is more clearly set forth in the Revelation\n than in any other part of the New Testament, though not in any\n single text, but by the representations of the book throughout,\u201d\n Riddle, unpublished _Classroom Lectures on Revelation_. Also see\n Pfleiderer, _Influence of Paul on Christianity_ (Hibbert Lect.,\n 1885), p. 130.\n\n 384 \u201cJohn looked to see a lion and beheld a Lamb,\u201d the change of symbol\n seeming to indicate that \u201cthe might of Christ is the power of love.\u201d\n See Stevens, _New Test. Theol._, p. 542. \u201cThe name which most\n expresses what Christ is to the Christian is the \u2018Lamb.\u2019 \u201d \u201cThis is\n used twenty\u2010nine times in the book.\u201d Porter, art. Rev., Hastings\u2019\n _Dict. of Bib._ \u201cThis is a dramatic way of expressing the truth that\n the efficient factor of history is gentleness.\u201d Dean, _Book of\n Revelation_, p. 103.\n\n 385 See Bleek\u2019s _Lect. on Apoc._, p. 200f.\n\n 386 Cf. Bisping, quoted by Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 167.\n\n 387 \u201cThis description of the glorified Lord, sublime as a purely mental\n conception, becomes intolerable if we give it outward form and\n expression.\u201d (Trench, _Ep\u2019s to Seven Ch\u2019s_, p. 64). In fact, \u201cNo\n scene in the great Christian Apocalypse can be successfully\n reproduced upon canvas; the imagery ... is symbolic and not\n pictorial,\u201d (Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, Intr., p. cxxxiv.)\n \u201cSymbolism does not appeal to the pictorial sense at all, but rather\n to some analytic faculty, or conventional association of ideas.\u201d\n (Moulton, _Bib. Idyls_, Intr. p. xx). The incongruity of many of\n their symbols from the aesthetic point of view does not seem to have\n occurred to the Hebrew mind, for with them the religious idea was\n predominant. Many of the events recorded in the Revelation are\n manifestly impossible except in a vision.\n\n 388 \u201cHere we have the ideas of ch. 1. 5 repeated (i. e. of the love and\n redemption of Christ) with the further thought that love like that\n displayed in Christ\u2019s death for man\u2019s redemption is worthy not only\n of all praise, but of having all the future committed to its care.\n It is really a pictorial way of saying that redeeming love is the\n last reality in the universe which all praise must exalt and to\n which everything else must be subordinate.\u201d Denney, _Death of\n Christ_, p. 246.\n\n 389 Moulton\u2019s _Mod. Read. Bib._, Psa. vol. i, Intr., p. xxxiif.\n\n 390 The call is most naturally understood as a call for the vision to\n appear. Simcox so interprets: \u201cEach of the living creatures by turns\n summons one of the horsemen.\u201d (_Cambr. Gr. Test._, Rev., p. 85);\n Scott, also, holds the same view (_New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 176);\n and Moffatt, prefers it (_New Trans. New Test._, footnote). Plummer,\n however, says the call is addressed to John,\u2014perhaps a more common\n view; on the other hand Alford, Milligan, and Swete, say the call is\n to Christ to come. The view that the call is addressed to the rider\n is more likely correct, though the interpretation of the seals is\n not materially affected by the view we may take of this part of the\n symbolism. In any case, \u201cEach living being invites attention to the\n revelation of the future of that creation of which they are all\n representatives.\u201d _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 185.\n\n 391 \u201c_Conquering, and that he may conquer._ This is the key to the whole\n vision. Only of Christ and his kingdom can it be said that it is to\n conquer ... only of Christ\u2019s kingdom shall there be no end.\u201d\n Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 184.\n\n 392 _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 179; also see Mommsen\u2019s _Provinces of\n Rom. Emp._, vol. ii, p. 1 (note), Swete regards the first seal as \u201ca\n picture of triumphant militarism.\u201d _Apoc. St. John_, p. 84.\n\n 393 \u201cWhite is always typical in the Revelation of heavenly things,\u201d\n Plummer, (_Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 183). \u201cIf any other than our Lord\n is he that goes forth conquering and to conquer, then, though the\n subsequent interpretation may have occasional points of contact with\n truth ... the true key of the book is lost.\u201d (_Alford, Gr. Test._,\n vol. iv, p. 249).\n\n 394 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 185. For a different interpretation\n see Milligan, _Expos. Bib._, Rev., p. 91.\n\n 395 \u201c_A choenix of wheat for a denarius_ &c. The choenix appears to have\n been the food allotted to one man for a day; while the denarius was\n the pay of a soldier or of a common laborer for one day.\u201d Plummer,\n _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 185.\n\n 396 The oil and the wine are interpreted by some (as Wordsworth, and\n Milligan) to mean spiritual food which will not be lacking in time\n of famine; but this opinion is not sustained by anything in the\n text. Swete understands the vision to forbid famine prices, and to\n refer only to relative hardships\u2014an unusual view.\n\n 397 It is doubtless true, as pointed out by Ramsay, that according to\n the usual custom in celebrating a triumph \u201cthe Roman generals were\n borne in a four\u2010horse car\u201d (_Letters to Seven Churches_, p. 58).\n This, however, does not seem to have been necessarily or always the\n case, and even when so, the horses were white. Cf. Swete, _Apoc. of\n St. John_, p. 84; and Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 177.\n\n 398 It is interesting to note that God is here described (v. 10) as \u1f41\n \u03b4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c0\u03cc\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 an absolute ruler, a word implying the divine might and\n authority, which occurs but once in the Apocalypse, and which is\n translated \u201cLord\u201d in the A. V., and \u201cMaster\u201d in the R. V. This term,\n it should be understood, is \u201cstrictly the correlative of slave,\n \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2, and hence denotes absolute ownership and uncontrolled\n power.\u201d (Thayer\u2019s _Gr.\u2010Eng. Lex. New Test._) In its present use \u201cit\n would seem to convey the idea of personal relationship, as Paul\n speaks of himself as the _slave_ of Christ (\u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2).\u201d (Strong, art.\n \u201cJohn, Apostle,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._)\n\n 399 For an interesting parallel passage in Apocalyptic literature see\n _Ascension of Isaiah_, 9.7\u201018, where the saints, as here, receive a\n preliminary reward; also, _Bk of Enoch_, 22:5f, where the voice of\n the spirits of the children of men who were dead \u201cpenetrated to\n heaven and complained.\u201d\n\n 400 \u201cThe day of the Lord\u201d is a notable phrase in the New Testament, and\n should receive our careful attention, though it only occurs twice in\n the Apocalypse (ch. 6:14; 16:14). As Davidson interprets it, \u201cThe\n day of the Lord is an eschatological idea; the phrase therefore\n cannot be rendered \u2018a day of the Lord,\u2019 as if any great calamity or\n judgment felt to be impending might be so named: the day is that of\n final and universal judgment.\u201d (See art. \u201cEschatol. of Old Test.\u201d;\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._). This view, however, must not be applied\n too strictly; for while it is clear that the final day is usually\n the thought in mind, yet through long and continuous use the phrase\n \u201cthe day of the Lord\u201d seems to have acquired a wider application,\n and to have been applied to any striking crisis in the history of\n the world, each day of the Lord being, however, a type of the final\n and great day. (See Rawlinson, _Pulp. Com._, Isa., p. 228).\n\n 401 Cf. _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 124.\n\n 402 See App\u2019x G, \u201cApoc. Lit.\u201d\n\n 403 The view here given, limiting the contents of the seventh seal to\n the first verse of the eighth chapter, is upon the whole the\n preferable one (Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 229; Wordsworth,\n _The Apoc._, p. 155; and Vaughan, _Lect. on Rev._, pp. 204\u20105),\n though it is disputed on exegetical grounds by D\u00fcsterdieck and\n others (Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._ p. 261f.). It will be found, however,\n that it is amply sustained by a broad view of the context. This\n verse (ch. 8:1) might well have been included in chapter seven, at\n the close of the episode of the sealed ones where it properly\n belongs.\n\n 404 Lee, _Bib. Com._, Rev., p. 595.\n\n 405 Riddle, unpublished _Classroom Lect. on Rev._\n\n 406 \u201cThree kinds of significance appear to be attached to sealing in the\n Scriptures, viz. (1) to authenticate; (2) to assert ownership; and\n (3) to assure safety. The significance of sealing in Revelation\n seems to combine both the latter ideas.\u201d (_New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p.\n 191). Possibly all senses of the term may be here included, which\n gives a very forcible meaning. In Charles\u2019 view the sealing in\n Revelation is to secure the servants of God against the attacks of\n demonic powers, or against the Antichrist. See his _Studies in\n Apoc._, p. 130.\n\n 407 The omission of the tribe of Dan in the enumeration of the twelve\n tribes of Israel has been accounted for in various ways; but most\n likely it occurred as suggested by Ewald by an error of\n transcription, MAN, (the abbreviated form of Manasses) being\n substituted for \u0394\u0391\u039d, the correct reading. In favor of this\n suggestion is the fact that the correct order of birth of the sons\n of Jacob would thereby be followed, except that Joseph is placed\n before Reuben because of the prominent place he occupies as the\n ancestor of our Lord. See Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., pp. 207\u20108.\n\n 408 Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, vol. V, pp. 394\u20106; J\u00fclicher, _New Test._,\n _Intr._, pp. 287\u20108; and Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 192.\n\n 409 \u201cPerhaps no passage in the Apocalypse has had so wide an influence\n on popular eschatology.\u201d Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 98.\n\n 410 For a like passage where the sealed wear white garments, see _II\n Esdr._ 2.34\u201042.\n\n 411 As Trench, followed by Milligan.\n\n 412 Faussett, J. F. & B. _Com. on Rev._, p. 605; also D\u00fcsterdieck,\n Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, pp. 242\u201050, who aptly says, \u201cThe number\n 144,000 there (v. 1\u20108) although not literal but schematic, furnishes\n the idea of _numerability_, while here (v. 9) the _innumerability_\n of the great multitude is especially emphasized.\u201d\n\n 413 As Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev. p. 207, who says, \u201cHere, as\n elsewhere, it is the spiritual Israel which is signified.\u201d\n\n 414 \u201cSaved by our God, who is seated on the throne, and by the Lamb!\u201d\n Moffatt, _New Trans. of New Test._\n\n 415 \u201cWhere an explanation is made of visions which refer to the church,\n the active part is taken by the elders, while angels introduce\n visions of which the signification is unexplained.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp.\n Com._, Rev., p. 209.\n\n 416 \u201cThese verses (v. 16, 17) are full of reminiscences of the O. T.\n Perhaps there is no passage in the whole of literature that so\n combines simplicity of language and sublimity of thought as these\n two verses.\u201d Dean, _Book of Revelation_, p. 119.\n\n 417 Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 100; Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev.,\n p. 195.\n\n 418 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 230.\n\n 419 For the first view see Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 238; for the\n second view see D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, pp. 264\u20105; also\n Lange, _Com. on Rev._, p. 204.\n\n 420 Vaughan, _Lect. on Rev._, p. 207; and Stuart, _Com. on Rev._, p.\n 564, where they are described as \u201cpresence\u2010angels;\u201d also cf.\n _Tobit_, 12:15, \u201cI am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who\n present the prayers of the saints, and who go in and out before the\n glory of the Holy One\u201d; and _Bk of Enoch_, 91:21, \u201cAnd the Lord\n called those seven first white ones, etc.\u201d These instances serve to\n show how the Apocalypse of John reflects the current usage of\n Apocalyptic literature in his time.\n\n 421 Cf. I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:52; and _II Esdr._ 6.20, 25.\n\n 422 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 398; also compare with ch. 14:7,\n where these terms are apparently used as the sum of creation.\n\n 423 Cf. Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. 4, Rev., p. 638.\n\n 424 Cf. Hos. 8:1; Hab. 1:8; and _Apoc. of Bar._ 77.19\u201022.\n\n 425 Cf. ch. 20:1\u20102; also see arts. \u201cAbyss\u201d, and \u201cPit\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict.\n of Bib._; and _Bk of Enoch_, 21:10; and 18:11.\n\n 426 Some find in this name a reference to Apollo, the pagan deity, and\n point out that the locust was one of the symbols of his cult,\n certainly a curious coincidence, but apparently not anything more\n than a coincidence. See _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 208.\n\n 427 \u201cThe balance of authority seems in favor of retaining \u03c4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03ac\u03c1\u03c9\u03bd\n \u2018four,\u2019 although the Revisers omit it. The altar of incense had four\n horns projecting at the corners.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 265.\n\n 428 Light is thrown upon these perplexing figures by a passage in the\n _Apocalypse of Ezra_ quoted by Bousset: \u201cAnd a voice was heard: let\n these four kings be loosed which are bound beside the great river\n Euphrates, which shall destroy a third part of mankind. And they\n were loosed, and there was a great commotion.\u201d Also in the _Bk of\n Enoch_ (56:5), \u201cThe angels gather themselves together, and turn\n eastward to the Parthians and Medes, and stir up their kings,\u201d as\n the four angels do here. John\u2019s conception is thus seen to be a\n reflection of existing apocalyptic material. See _New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., p. 208.\n\n 429 See _Bible Com._, Rev., p. 617.\n\n 430 \u201cThe master thought of the whole Revelation.\u201d Moulton, _Mod. Read.\n Bib._, Rev., Intr. p. xxvi. \u201cThe realization of the kingdom of God\n ... is the end in the light of which God\u2019s purpose in Christ is to\n be read.\u201d Orr, art. \u201cKingdom of God\u201d. Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 431 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 226; also cf. _II Macc._, 2.1\u20108;\n and _Apoc. Bar._, 6.7\u201010.\n\n 432 \u201cThe episodes are interposed to give us an insight into the inner\n aspects of the life of the church in the midst of persecution and\n distress.\u201d Ballentine, _Mod. Am. Bib._, Rev., p. 275.\n\n 433 Cf. Plummer and Alford.\n\n 434 _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 216.\n\n 435 Some, as Milligan, take this angel for Christ himself; but\n \u201cthroughout the book angels are everywhere distinct from the divine\n persons\u201d, (Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 649)\u2014a general rule that\n is never deviated from and should not be forgotten. \u201cIn no passage\n of the book is our Lord represented under the form of an angel\u201d,\n (Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 231).\n\n 436 \u201cThe Jews were accustomed to call thunder the seven voices, and to\n regard it as the voice of the Lord.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 274; also cf. Ps. 29:3f; 77:18; and 104:7.\n\n 437 Humphries, accepting the modern composite view, says, \u201cThe eating of\n the little book recounted in ch x. 10 suggests that borrowing from a\n previous source is to be looked for in what immediately follows.\u201d\n _St John and Other New Test. Teachers_, p. 96.\n\n 438 See commentaries of Westcott, Reynolds, and others on the Gospel of\n John.\n\n 439 See Thayer\u2019s _Lex. New Test. Greek_ for the distinction between the\n use of \u03bd\u03b1\u1f78\u03c2 and \u1f31\u03b5\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd; also art. \u201cTemple\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of\n Bib._, at the beginning. The word \u1f31\u03b5\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd, it will be noticed, is\n never used in the Apocalypse.\n\n 440 Plummer thinks that the heavenly temple is indicated, because\n \u201cnowhere else in the book do Jerusalem and the temple signify the\n earthly places\u201d,\u2014a view that deserves weighty consideration.\n\n 441 \u201cThe outer court of the temple was the addition of Herod.... The\n Gentiles might come there, though they might not pass into what was\n especially the temple, and which was sacred to Israelites only. And\n so it represents here all those outer\u2010court worshippers, those mixed\n multitudes which are found associated with God\u2019s true people\n everywhere\u2014of them, but not truly belonging to them.\u201d _Pulp. Com._,\n Rev., pp. 300\u201001.\n\n 442 Stuart, _Com. on Apoc._, p. 590; and Lange, _Com. on Rev._, p. 223,\n who somewhat differently regards this as a picture of \u201cthe inner and\n outer church\u201d, a thought that may perhaps be included; also see\n Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 288, who says, \u201cThe temple is here\n used figuratively of the faithful portion of the church of Christ\n ... placed in antithesis to the outer court, the faithless portion\n of the visible church, which is given over to the Gentiles\u2014the type\n of all that is worldly.\u201d Scott, _Par. Ver. of Rev._, p. 33 says,\n \u201cThe inner shrine alone of the house of God is truly his, and abides\n forever\u201d; and Ballentine, _Mod. Am. Bib._, following Bp. Carpenter,\n says, \u201cAs Jerusalem and Babylon ... so here the Temple and the court\n of the Temple are symbols. The gospel has elevated the history and\n places of the past into a grand allegory. It has breathed into their\n dead names the life of an ever\u2010present symbolism.\u201d\n\n 443 See Mommsen\u2019s _Prov. of Rom. Emp._, vol. ii, pp. 214\u201017, note.\n\n 444 On the return of the Jews to Palestine, expected by many as a\n fulfilment of prophecy, see the very satisfactory remarks of\n Davidson, art. \u201cEschatology\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, vol. i, pp.\n 737\u20108.\n\n 445 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 289; Faussett, J. F. & B., _Com. on\n Rev._, p. 613; Wordsworth, _The Apoc._, lect. viii; and others.\n\n 446 Cf. ch. 1:12f, where the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.\n\n 447 See Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 289f, who is remarkably clear on\n this passage.\n\n 448 \u201cThe two martyrs represent the martyr church as sharing the royal\n priesthood of the Messiah, and as endowed with the gifts of prophecy\n and miracle\u2010working like the prophets of old,\u201d Briggs, _Mess. of\n Apost._, p. 318.\n\n 449 _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 291; _Bib. Com._, Rev., p. 639; Vincent,\n _Word Stud. in New Test._, 1 c.; also Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv,\n p. 661.\n\n 450 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 234.\n\n 451 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 310.\n\n 452 In a footnote of the Revised Douay Version, however, the\n interpretation there given is, \u201cThe church of God. It may also, by\n allusion, be applied to our blessed Lady\u201d\u2014an interpretation to which\n no objection can properly be made.\n\n 453 \u201cThis threefold description (i. e. \u2018the Old Serpent, he that is\n called the Devil, and Satan\u2019) gathers up the primitive, the\n prophetic, and the New Testament conception of the supreme Power of\n Evil.\u201d _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 230.\n\n 454 See Thayer\u2019s _Gr. Lex. of New Test._\n\n 455 See Farrar, _Early Days of Christianity_, p. 527; and Stuart, _Com.\n on Apoc._, pp. 627\u20108.\n\n 456 Faussett, J. F. & B. _Com. on Rev._, p. 619; and Maurice, _The\n Apoc._, p. 181.\n\n 457 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 312; Wordsworth, _Lect. on Apoc._,\n p. 200, \u201cSt John now reverts to an earlier period.\u201d\n\n 458 Lee says, \u201cVerses ten and eleven commemorate by anticipation the\n victory of believers.\u201d _Bib. Com._, Rev., p. 662; Plummer, favoring\n a similar view, suggests that, \u201cThe song of the heavenly voices may\n be intended to end with the word \u2018Christ\u2019 (v. 10), and the following\n passages may be the words of the writer of the Apocalypse, and may\n refer to the earthly martyrs.\u201d _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 312.\n\n 459 Bleek, _Lect. on Apoc._, p. 268; Stuart, _Com. on Apoc._, p. 623.\n\n 460 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 312.\n\n 461 Charles, art. \u201cBk of Secrets of Enoch\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n \u201cThe underlying conception here probably is that the Dragon and his\n angels attempted to storm the highest heaven, and in the end were\n cast out of heaven altogether.\u201d _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 230.\n\n 462 Sayce, _Hibbert Lect\u2019s._, (1887), p. 102.\n\n 463 Gunkel, _Schopfung und Chaos_, 1895.\n\n 464 Porter, art. \u201cRev., Book of\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 465 \u201cTo read the ideas of Rev. xii into the scattered Babylonian\n allusions, in order to get the Marduk myth, is too fragmentary to be\n relied upon as a basis for such a theory;\u201d Moffatt, _The Expositor_,\n Mar., \u201909, art. \u201cWellhausen and Others on the Apoc.\u201d For a statement\n of Gunkel\u2019s tradition\u2010historical view see art. \u201cRev.\u201d in Hastings\u2019\n _Dict. of Bib._; also art. \u201cApoc. and Recent Criticism\u201d, Barton,\n _Am. Journ. of Theol._, Oct. \u201998. Delitzsch in his first lecture on\n _Babel and the Bible_ (1902) regards all references to the Dragon in\n Scriptures as echoes of Babylonian mythology. Davidson in art.\n \u201cAngel\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, regards such passages containing\n accounts of conflicts between God and other powerful beings as\n \u201creminiscences of Cosmic or Creation myths.\u201d\n\n 466 Moffatt supports the reading, \u201cI stood\u201d (A. V.), and in this view he\n is supported by Ramsay.\n\n 467 See _Apoc. of Baruch_, 29.4 and _II Esdr._ 6.49.\n\n 468 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 221.\n\n 469 D\u00fcsterdieck, Plummer, Faussett, and many others. Milligan is\n especially clear in his exposition of this passage, _Internat.\n Com._, vol. iv, p. 105.\n\n 470 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 331.\n\n 471 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., pp. 331\u20102.\n\n 472 Scott makes the sea out of which the first Beast emerges to be \u201cthe\n Mediterranean, from beyond which the empire of Rome rose before the\n eyes of the Jews\u201d; and the earth to be the domain of \u201cthe Roman\n empire, from which came the priests of Caesar\u2010worship\u2014a priesthood\n native born\u201d, which constituted the second Beast. (_New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., pp. 235 and 239). Plummer says, \u201cThe sea is the type of\n instability, confusion, and commotion, frequently signifying the\n ungovernable nations of the world in opposition to the church of\n God.... The other beast pertains to the earth, thus dividing the\n whole world between them.\u201d (_Pulp. Com._, Rev., pp. 330 and 334).\n\n 473 Cf. _Pulp. Com._, Rev., pp. 341\u201043; Faussett, J. F. & B. _Com. on\n Rev._, pp. 621; and Vaughan, _Lect. on Rev._, p. 342; also Bp. of\n Ripon\u2019s \u201cExcur. on Rev.\u201d, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., pp. 582\u201085.\n\n 474 The identity of the Second Beast with the False Prophet of chs.\n 16:13, and 19:20, can scarcely be doubted when both contexts are\n considered, though some historical interpreters have identified the\n False Prophet with Mohammed, the false prophet of Islam, apparently\n without any special reason except that Mohammed is the most noted of\n all the false prophets of history, whereas the False Prophet in\n Revelation is the representative of all false religions in all time,\n an admirable symbol.\n\n 475 We should not forget the great lesson of history here emphasized,\n that the natural religions of men are always intertwined with the\n civil power in heathen lands; and, also, how often in the past, even\n in Christian nations, the professed faith in Christ has been\n inwrought to its great undoing with the authority of the nation.\n\n 476 Salmond, _Hist. Intr. to New Test._, p. 245; Bousset, _Bib. Encyc._,\n art. \u201cApoc\u201d.; also Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 239.\n\n 477 The first is Alford\u2019s view, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv, pp. 675\u201079; the\n second is Moulton\u2019s _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., pp. 207\u201009.\n\n 478 For a further discussion of the symbolism of the Second Beast see\n notes on ch 17.\n\n 479 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 336.\n\n 480 \u201cPhilo reproached Jewish apostates for allowing themselves to be\n branded with the signs of idols\u201d (_New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 191),\n an allusion evidently to the same practice as that referred to here\n in Revelation, and showing that the language used is something more\n than merely a figure of speech.\n\n 481 \u201cIn apocalyptic writings the interpretation, if added, is only a\n less obscure form of the enigma, and not a solution of it\u201d. Sch\u00fcrer,\n _Hist. Jewish Peop._, part II, vol. iii, p. 47.\n\n 482 \u201cIt is difficult to understand why all this mystery should be about\n the name of a dead emperor who was no favorite with Jew or Roman, or\n why the name should be written in Hebrew for the Christians of Asia,\n or how so prominent a name should so soon be forgotten, especially\n in view of the expectation of his return, which obtained so long.\u201d\n (Dean, _Book of Revelation_, p. 151.).\n\n 483 See Salmon, _Hist. Intr. to New Test._, p. 23Of.; also Milligan,\n _Expos. Bib._, Rev., p. 235; and Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 337. Farrar\u2019s interpretation (following Reuss, Hitzig, and others)\n is _Neron Kesar_, using Hebrew letters in the spelling and omitting\n most of the vowels, as follows (see _Early Days of Christianity_, p.\n 540), viz:\u2014\n\n N=50\n R=200\n O=6\n N=50\n\n N(E)RON=306\n K=100\n S=60\n R=200\n\n K(E)S(A)R=360\n\n This interpretation is the one now generally accepted by the\n advanced school of commentators in the present day. On the other\n hand if the last letter of the name (N) be dropped we have the value\n of 616, which is the alternate reading in some manuscripts. Moulton,\n however, says the number contains \u201cprobably a temporary allusion of\n which the point is now lost\u201d that gave a clue to the general\n significance, viz. \u201cworld\u2010religion and superstition in\n contradistinction to world\u2010force.\u201d (_Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p.\n 209). \u201cThe non\u2010identification of Nero with the 666 by any early\n writer is significant.\u201d (Cowan, art. \u201cNero\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of\n Bib._). \u201cSurely not \u2018Nero Kaisar,\u2019 but \u2018Ashhur\u2010Ramman\u2019!\u201d Cheyne,\n _Fresh Voyages on Unfrequented Waters_, p. 171\u20141914).\n\n 484 Porter, art. \u201cRev., Bk. of,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 485 Following the Hebrew custom of offering the first fruits to God, the\n term is probably used in this figure as the symbol of that which is\n given to God, though it may possibly refer to those who share in the\n first resurrection.\n\n 486 \u201c\u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b8\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9 \u2018virgins,\u2019 is a word equally applicable to men or women,\u201d\n Plummer, _Pulp. Com., Rev._, p. 347; also Swete regards the word\n \u201cvirgins\u201d as a metaphor for purity, as most interpreters; cf.\n Thayer\u2019s _Gr. Lex. of New Test._, for the secondary use of the term.\n It is evident that the phrase \u201cThese are they that were not defiled\n with women\u201d\u2014or \u201camong women\u201d\u2014may properly be interpreted as applying\n to men who were not so defiled, though it here apparently represents\n a class, whether men or women, who are declared to be free from\n impurity, a phrase that in such a book as the Apocalypse is more\n likely to refer to that which is spiritual than to that which is\n physical. Alford, however, (_Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 685), and\n Moffatt, also, (_Exp. Gr. Test._, vol. v, p. 436), both interpret\n literally as \u201cvirgins.\u201d\n\n 487 \u201cThe writer is controverting a fear that at the advent of the\n Messiah those who survived on earth would have some advantage over\n those who had already died.... John, however, does not share the\n current pessimistic belief that death was preferable to life ... but\n affirms that if death came in the line of religious duty it involved\n no deprivation.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., pp. 439\u201040.\n\n 488 \u201cIn Jewish Apocalyptic writings ever since Daniel, a Son of Man had\n been spoken of who would come to judge the world in the clouds of\n heaven,\u201d (Pfleiderer, _Hibbert Lect._ (1885), p. 34. An early\n messianic interpretation was given to the term, apparently because\n of its fitness, though in Daniel\u2019s vision \u201cthe son of man,\u201d a figure\n in human form, is understood by most late interpreters to be used as\n a symbol of Israel, whose higher qualities are set in contrast with\n the four beasts, and its messianic use is believed to have arisen\n later, though, perhaps, soon after that period. For an instructive\n discussion of this familiar title, \u201cthe Son of Man\u201d, so difficult to\n adequately interpret, see Charles\u2019 edition of the _Bk. of Enoch_,\n app\u2019x B; also art. \u201cSon of Man\u201d in Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; and\n Sanday\u2019s art. \u201cJesus Christ\u201d in the same; together with art. \u201cSon of\n Man\u201d in Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Chr. and Gosp._\n\n 489 \u201c_Another angel_; i. e. in addition to those already mentioned, and\n not implying that he who sat on the cloud was an angel\u201d, Plummer,\n _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 350.\n\n 490 For the first view see Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 350; Alford,\n _Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 691f; and Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p.\n 187. For the second view see Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 250;\n and Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., pp. 441\u201042.\n\n 491 Cf. _Bk. of Enoch_, 100.3.\n\n 492 Moulton\u2019s _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 210.\n\n 493 See Intr. to Johan. B\u2019ks., _Temple Bib._\n\n 494 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 3.\n\n 495 \u201cThe whole of God\u2019s wrath in final judgment is not exhausted by\n these vials, but only the whole of his wrath in sending plagues on\n the earth previous to the judgment.\u201d Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv,\n p. 693.\n\n 496 Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 198. Lange suggests that \u201cthe\n crystal sea may appear as though illuminated and reddened by the\n fiery glare of the Anger Vials.\u201d (_Com. on Rev._, p. 290); Alford\n thinks the fire in the sea is significant of judgment, (_Gr. Test._,\n vol iv, p. 693); and Swete says, \u201cThe red glow of the sea spoke of\n the fire through which the martyrs had passed, and yet more of the\n wrath about to fall on the world which had condemned them.\u201d (_Apoc.\n of St John_, p. 191).\n\n 497 So D\u00fcsterdieck, Faussett, Plummer, Alford, and others; for the Greek\n preposition \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 with the accusative, see Thayer\u2019s _Gr. Lex. of New\n Test._ Swete, however, regarding the sea to be of glass, interprets\n \u201con the sea itself, which forms the solid pavement of the final\n approach to the throne,\u201d (_Apoc. of St John_, p. 192), a view which\n scarcely accords with our idea of a sea.\n\n 498 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., pp. 253\u20104. Also see Westcott and Hort\n in _App\u2019x to Gr. Test._, \u201cNotes on Select Readings,\u201d p. 139, who\n favor the Revisers\u2019 view (\u03bb\u03af\u03b8\u03bf\u03bd); and Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p.\n 195, who supports the former reading (\u03bb\u03af\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd).\n\n 499 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 254; Plummer says, \u201cThe reason of\n the employment of the term \u2018vial,\u2019 or \u2018bowl,\u2019 is most likely to be\n found in the expression \u2018cup of God\u2019s anger,\u2019 in ch. 14.10.\u201d _Pulp.\n Com._, Rev., p. 392.\n\n 500 The term \u201cthe angel of the waters\u201d reflects the apocalyptic style of\n thought, for it is not unusual in apocalyptic writings to assign a\n presiding spirit to natural phenomena. Cf. _Bk. of Enoch_ (ed.\n Charles), 60.16\u201021; also Intr. to same, p. 34. In the Apocalypse of\n John, just as in other writings of the same class, we find that\n \u201cangels are associated with cosmic or elemental forces as fire and\n water which they direct.\u201d Davidson, art. \u201cAngel,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict.\n of Bib._ Also cf. chs. 7:1; 9:11; and 14:18; in connection with\n 16:5.\n\n 501 \u201cA figure possibly drawn from the action of Cyrus in diverting the\n waters of the river when he took the city of Babylon.\u201d _Bib. Com._,\n Rev., p. 721.\n\n 502 D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, p. 419; also Alford, _Gr.\n Test._, vol. iv, p. 700. For a different view see Milligan,\n _Internat. Com._, Rev., p. 122; and Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, p. 395.\n\n 503 \u201cAll is over\u201d. Moffatt, _New Trans. of New Test._\n\n 504 See _Ascension of Isaiah_, ch. 7, where the firmament is the abode\n of evil spirits; also cf. Eph. 2:2, in which Satan is called \u201cthe\n prince of the power of the air,\u201d apparently reflecting the thought\n of the time, which regarded the air as the abiding place of evil\n spirits.\n\n 505 \u201cEvery Apocalyptic writer painted the final catastrophe after the\n model of the catastrophes of his day, only on a vaster scale and\n with deepened shadows.\u201d Harnack, art. \u201cRev.,\u201d _Encyc. Brit._; also\n see _Assumption of Moses_, 10.8.\n\n 506 _Twentieth Cent. New Test. in Modern English_, ch. 15.1; the Am. R.\n V. reads, \u201cIn them is finished the wrath of God\u201d.\n\n 507 Frogs which were unclean to the Hebrews become here a fitting type\n of unclean spirits.\n\n 508 See art. \u201cHar\u2010Magedon,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 509 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 396. \u201cThe final world\u2010combat.\u201d\n Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 212. See note on ch. 19:11\u201021,\n where this same event is again referred to.\n\n 510 See division made by Purvis in art. \u201cRev.\u201d, Davis\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._;\n also the analysis given in the introductory part of _Twent. Cent.\n New Test._, vol. iii, Rev., \u201cTable of Contents.\u201d\n\n 511 \u201cThe comparison of Rome to Babylon underlies much of Jewish\n apocalyptic literature.\u201d Chase, art. \u201cBabylon, in New Test.\u201d,\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 512 Plummer gives a different idea of Babylon, interpreting it as \u201cThe\n degenerate portion of the church of God ... all the faithless of\n God\u2019s church in all time\u201d, an interpretation that is not accepted by\n most commentators. _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 413.\n\n 513 See App\u2019x A, Division V; also \u201cExcur. on Rev.\u201d by Bp. of Ripon,\n _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 582.\n\n 514 \u201cThis practice was customary with harlots\u201d (Juv., \u201cSat.\u201d, vi. 123;\n Seneca, \u201cControv.\u201d, 1, 2). _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 415.\n\n 515 \u201cThe City of the World, the ideal concentration of all this world\u2019s\n splendor and wealth and might.... The Evil\u2010World\u2010Metropolis.\u201d Scott,\n _Paragraph. Ver. of Rev._, pp. 1\u20102. For a convincing presentation of\n this view, see Lee, _Bib. Com._, Rev., pp. 734\u201045. \u201cThe Anti\u2010\n Church\u201d,\u2014i. e. the world in antithesis to the church, Seiss, _Lect.\n on Apoc._, vol. iii, p. 112. \u201cBy Babylon the whole ungodly, anti\u2010\n christianized world is intended ... an ideal city, embracing all of\n anti\u2010christianity.\u201d Lange, _Com. on Rev._, pp. 278\u2010303. \u201cUnder this\n one name (Babylon) ... the whole adverse force is concentrated.\u201d\n Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 212. In this view of the\n interpretation which is adopted in the present volume, the Harlot is\n the anti\u2010christian world, the perpetual Babylon.\n\n 516 For other views see _Pulp. Com._, J. F. & B., _Com. on Rev._, and\n _Internat. Com. in loco_.\n\n 517 As with Milligan and others.\n\n 518 This description of the Woman as \u201cthe great Harlot that sitteth upon\n many waters\u201d is evidently taken from the Prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer.\n 51:13), where the many waters refer to the many canals of Babylon.\n Here the phrase is used figuratively, referring to the \u201cmany\n peoples\u201d (v. 15) that are subject to Babylon in the Apocalypse, and\n affords a good example of the Apocalyptic use of Old Testament\n symbols in a sense that is somewhat different from their original\n meaning.\n\n 519 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 417; Faussett, J. F. & B., _Com. on\n Rev._, p. 630; and many others. This is the common view with the\n symbolist interpreters. It should be remembered that the\n identification of the particular kings or kingdoms that were first\n in mind in this symbolism,\u2014for there probably were such,\u2014is not\n important; the special thought is that of _all kingdoms in all\n time_.\n\n 520 \u201cThe absence of the article before \u1f43\u03b3\u03b4\u03bf\u03bf\u03c2 \u2018eighth,\u2019 shows that this\n is not the eighth in a successive series, in which the kings already\n mentioned form the first seven.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 417.\n\n 521 \u201cThe Beast is the sum total of what has been described under the\n form of five kings, then one king, and then one king again.\u201d\n Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 416f. \u201cThis eighth is the Beast\n himself in actual embodiment. He is \u1f10\u03ba \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f11\u03c0\u03c4\u1fb6\u2014not \u2018one of the\n seven\u2019, but the successor and result of the seven, following and\n springing out of them.\u201d Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv. p. 711. Also,\n see Milligan, _Internat. Com._, Rev., pp. 127\u20108. To regard the Beast\n that is \u201can eighth,\u201d and, of the seven, as a reference to Nero is an\n anomalous interpretation that is without parallel in the book, and\n cannot, therefore, be sustained.\n\n 522 \u201c_One hour_ denotes \u2018a short time\u2019 (i. e. a time that is relatively\n short in the measure of eternity). The Bible in this way constantly\n describes the period of the world\u2019s existence, especially that\n period which intervenes between the time of the writer and the\n judgment\u2010day (cf. Rom. 16:20; I Cor. 7:29; and Rev. 6:11; 12:12;\n 22:20, etc.).\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 417.\n\n 523 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 417.\n\n 524 See art. \u201cRev.\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._ vol. iv. pp. 257\u20108.\n\n 525 Cf. Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 333.\n\n 526 Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 212.\n\n 527 \u201cRome never has been, and from its very position never could be a\n great commercial city.\u201d Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 718. By the\n universal nature of the figures employed it is evident to most\n readers, that \u201cthe whole passage points not to any single city, at\n any one single period, but to the World\u2010City throughout all time.\u201d\n Lee, _Bib. Com._, Rev., p. 770.\n\n 528 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 432.\n\n 529 See Chase, art. \u201cPeter (Simon)\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 530 It is to be regretted that the Hebrew word \u201cHallelujah\u201d is not used\n in our Revised Version of the Old Testament as it is used in the\n New, instead of the translation \u201cPraise ye Jehovah,\u201d especially as\n it occurs in the Book of Psalms where its use is so fitting. It is\n now a well\u2010known English word, and is entitled to a place in our\n Scriptures, like the Hebrew word \u201cJehovah\u201d which is recognized by\n all.\n\n 531 \u201cIt has been supposed by some that we have in this incident (which\n is repeated in ch. 22.8) a protest against the incipient worship of\n angels which was creeping into the church.\u201d Scott, _New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., p. 275.\n\n 532 \u201cThe book is filled with echoes of prophecy\u2014mystic words through\n which break memories of the past\u2014that only attain their full\n significance through the more perfect teachings of Christ.\u201d Moulton,\n _Mod. Read. Bib._\n\n 533 \u201cThe testimony of Jesus is the sum of the revelation made by him,\n the holding of which is so often in this book the sign\u2010manual of the\n saints.... That deposit of truth rather than deny which Christians\n were prepared to die.... The testimony of Jesus thus becomes in turn\n the burden of his servants\u2019 testimony.\u201d Scott, _New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., p. 275f.\n\n 534 Davidson, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, art. \u201cEschatology.\u201d\n\n 535 \u201cThe Word\u201d as a name for Jesus here introduced, though it occurs but\n once in the book, is used elsewhere in the New Testament only by\n John (Jn. 1:1 and 1:14; I Jn. 1:1), and seems to point to the\n Johannine authorship of the Apocalypse. The Jews in the time of\n Christ used the Greek term \u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u201cThe Word\u201d, as a name for a class\n of phantasmal beings whom they regarded as existing between God and\n man, and through whom God was supposed to speak; for to their\n thought, God was so exalted and transcendent that he could not speak\n directly to men. But John uses \u201cThe Word\u201d as a personal name for\n Jesus who is both God and man, and through whom God has indeed\n spoken, thus bringing God near to men and revealing his truth and\n love. John took their own term and gave it a new application and a\n real meaning, and thereby furnished a new thought of Christ as the\n revealer of God. Cf. Thayer\u2019s _Gr. Lex. of New Test._; and Burton\n and Mathews\u2019 _Life of Christ_, pp. 17\u201018.\n\n 536 \u201cJohn takes us to the unseen and heavenly side of things, and we see\n the hosts of God marshalling themselves in defence of His weak and\n persecuted people, God Himself standing within the shadow, \u2018Keeping\n watch above His own\u2019.\u201d Humphries, _St. John and Other Teachers_, p.\n 105.\n\n 537 \u201cThe word of Messiah\u2019s mouth is the sole weapon of his victory.\u201d\n Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., p. 468.\n\n 538 _Bib. Com._, p. 607.\n\n 539 For a strong confirmation of this opinion see Stevens, _New Test.\n Theol._, p. 555; also, supporting the same view, R. D. Wilson in\n unpublished _Princeton Classroom Lectures_.\n\n 540 The fact of the resurrection is constantly emphasized in the New\n Testament, but it is entirely unnecessary for us to inquire into the\n manner of the resurrection for that is nowhere revealed. It is quite\n enough for us to know that there will be a resurrection, and that\n the new body will be a spiritual body.\n\n 541 \u201cThose who reject the idea of a physical resurrection are obliged\n therefore to think of a resurrection from hades to heaven, taking\n place at the close of the martyr age, and introducing those who are\n thus specially honored into a state of heavenly blessedness, which\n continues till the close of human history.\u201d Brown, art.\n \u201cMillennium\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, referring to Briggs\u2019 view\n in _Mess. of Apost._, p. 357.\n\n 542 For the use of \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1fb6 with the genitive, see Thayer\u2019s _Greek\u2010English\n Lex. of New Test._\n\n 543 \u201cIf the twelve hundred and sixty days symbolize the duration of the\n triumph of heathenism, the thousand years as clearly symbolize the\n duration of the triumph of Christianity\u201d, Swete, _Apoc. of St.\n John_, p. 263.\n\n 544 A. A. Hodge in unpublished _Classroom Lectures_.\n\n 545 For a more complete statement of the premillennial view see\n Faussett, J. F. & B. _Com. on Rev._; Seiss, _Lect. on Apoc._; and\n Alford\u2019s _Gr. Test._, _in loco_.\n\n 546 _De Civ. Dei_, xx, 7\u20109. For the prevalent symbolist view see\n Milligan, _Expos. Bib._, and _Internat. Com._; Plummer, _Pulp.\n Com._; and Lee, _Bib. Com._ Against this view it is ably contended\n that \u201cthe interpretation of a symbolic resurrection (as that of\n Israel in Ezekiel), or of a spiritual resurrection (as in\n regeneration), is rendered untenable by the explicit reference to\n the martyrs (cf. ch. 6.9\u201011, and 19.9).\u201d Brown art. \u201cMillennium,\u201d\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 547 A careful study of this view, even when presented by so eminent a\n commentator as Plummer, will convince most readers that it fails to\n properly satisfy the statements of the text.\n\n 548 See D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, pp. 463\u20104; and Brown art.\n \u201cMillennium\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._; also, most late\n authorities.\n\n 549 Purves, art. \u201cRev.\u201d, Davis\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 550 Salmond, art. \u201cEschatol. of New Test.\u201d, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 551 Cf. _II Esdr._ 7.28\u201032; and _Bk. of Enoch_, 91\u2010104; also the\n _Slavonic Enoch_, \u201cin which occurs the first mention of the\n millennium\u201d, (Charles).\n\n 552 \u201cThe Talmud has no fixed doctrine on this point, but the view most\n frequently expressed there is that the messianic kingdom will last\n for a thousand years: e. g. \u2018In six days God created the world, on\n the seventh he rested. But the day of God is equal to a thousand\n years (Ps. 90:4). Hence the world will last for six thousand years\n of toil and labor; then will come a thousand years of Sabbath rest\n for the people of God in the kingdom of the Messiah.\u2019 This idea must\n have already been very common in the first century before Christ.\u201d\n Harnack, art. \u201cMillennium\u201d, _Encyc. Britan._\n\n 553 Fairbairn _On Prophecy_, p. 45Of.; also Gloag\u2019s _Intr. to Johan.\n Writings_, ch. on \u201cMillennium\u201d; Stuart, _Com. on Apoc._, pp. 702\u201003;\n and many other authorities.\n\n 554 \u201cThat the world\u2019s history will terminate in the culmination of evil,\n becomes from the time of Daniel a permanent factor in Jewish\n Apocalyptic.\u201d Charles, _Eschatology_, p. 121.\n\n 555 \u201cJewish tradition makes use of these names to indicate those nations\n which are expected to war against Jerusalem in the last days and to\n be overthrown by the Messiah.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, p. 473. \u201cIn\n later Apocalyptic literature these are conventional symbols for the\n world hostile to Israel, or to the people of God.\u201d _New Cent. Bib._,\n Rev., p. 284.\n\n 556 \u201cThe whole delineation is symbolic, and embodies spiritual truths\n under material emblems.\u201d Plumptre, _Pulp. Com._, Ezek., vol. ii, p.\n 306. \u201cThe Invasion of Gog, a discourse of Ezekiel which stands by\n itself, is not to be interpreted as a specific prediction of an\n historical event, nor on the other hand as merely a parable; but\n under the typical names of Gog, Meshech, and Tubal,\u2014suggestive of\n the dimly known confines of the earth\u2014are suggested hostile forces\n however distinct, which after the many days of a future however\n prolonged, may be massed in opposition to a purified people only to\n fall in the holy soil by a destruction from on high, and to trouble\n Israel with no more than a notable burying.\u201d Moulton, _Mod. Read.\n Bib._, Ezek., Intr., p. xiii. Also cf. Plumptre, _Pulp. Com._,\n Ezek., chs. 38\u201039; and Fairbairn, _Ezek. and Book of his Prophecy_.\n\n 557 See Bleek, _Lect. on Apoc._, p. 339: also Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol.\n iv, Rev., p. 732, who is very clear and convincing as to the literal\n nature of both resurrections; and Stuart, _Com. on Apoc._, pp.\n 704\u201010, with Excur. vi in same volume.\n\n 558 See Salmond, art. \u201cEschatology of New Test.\u201d; Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of\n Bib._; and Bernard, art. \u201cResurrection\u201d in same work.\n\n 559 Scott, _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 282. In fact this view, in some\n form, finds a place with many modern interpreters who do not accept\n the usual symbolic interpretation of the book. Alford with his\n accustomed vigor has well said, \u201cIf in such a passage the first\n resurrection may be understood to mean _spiritual_ rising with\n Christ, while the second means _literal_ rising from the grave, then\n there is an end to all significance in language, and Scripture is\n wiped out as a definite testimony to anything.\u201d _Gr. Test._, vol.\n iv. p. 732.\n\n 560 \u201cNo part of the doctrine of the New Testament has been so\n inadequately developed by the church as that pertaining to\n Eschatology.\u201d A. A. Hodge in unpublished _Classroom Lectures_.\n\n 561 \u201cThere is a stern simplicity about the whole description, and just\n enough pictorial detail is given to make the passage morally\n suggestive.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., p. 477. For\n Apocalyptic conceptions of the judgment, see _Bk. of Enoch_, 51.1f.;\n 91.15f.; _II Esdr._ 7.32f.; and _Test. of XII Patriarchs_, Judah 25,\n Benjamin 10.\n\n 562 See D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, p. 165; also Scott, _New\n Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 151, who says, \u201cThis idea of a book kept in\n heaven plays a great part in Jewish Apocalyptic literature, in which\n it is developed to include the deeds as well as the names of God\u2019s\n people in the heavenly record.\u201d The passage before us, however,\n evidently keeps the two separate, for the book of life is\n distinguished from the books of record, and is mentioned seven times\n in the Revelation, indicating that it held an important place in the\n Apocalyptist\u2019s thought.\n\n 563 The time of the End is God\u2019s secret, but the fact of the End is\n clearly revealed as the point toward which all history tends.\n\n 564 Alford places ch. 21:1\u201022:5 subsequent to the millennium and the\n final judgment, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 736; and Faussett, who also\n holds the premillennial view, aptly says, \u201cNow is the church: in the\n millennium will be the kingdom; and after that the new world wherein\n God shall be all in all\u201d. J. F. & B. _Com. on Rev._, p. 640.\n\n 565 \u201cThe biblical doctrine of salvation reaches its climax in the\n conception of the redemption of the universe.\u201d Brown, art.\n \u201cSalvation,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._ \u201cThe fact that the heavens\n and the earth here spoken of are new, does not imply that they are\n now first brought into being. They may be the old heavens and the\n old earth; but they have a new aspect and a new character adapted to\n a new end.\u201d Milligan, _Expos. Bib._, Rev., p. 362; also _Internat.\n Com._, Rev., p. 151.\n\n 566 \u201cThe description of the heavenly city is probably the most\n magnificent passage in all Apocalyptic literature.... It is an ideal\n pictorially described, a symbolic picture of the better day seen in\n prophetic vision, and cherished with persistent hope and trust.\u201d\n Stevens, _New Test. Theol._, p. 562. \u201cThe Revelator used a redeemed\n city to symbolize heaven\u2014the Kingdom fully come.\u201d Strong, _Challenge\n of the City_, p. 199. That heaven as an actual city is, of course,\n only a dream of the baldest realism.\n\n 567 Moulton, _Mod. Read. Bib._, Rev., p. 215.\n\n 568 \u201cThe plural \u2018peoples\u2019 seems to point to the catholic nature of the\n New Jerusalem, which embraces many nations (cf. v. 24).\u201d Plummer,\n _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 510.\n\n 569 The idea of a New Jerusalem coming down from heaven is a familiar\n one in Jewish Apocalypses. Cf. _Bk. of Enoch_, 90.28, and 29, note\n by Charles; also _II Esdr._ 7.26; and _Apoc. of Bar._ 32.2.\n\n 570 As Milligan, _Expos. Bib._, Rev., p. 368; Scott, however, says,\n \u201cThough described as a city, it is really the figure of a people,\n and the \u2018condition localized\u2019 in which they dwell.\u201d _New Cent.\n Bib._, Rev., p. 287.\n\n 571 \u201c_He that overcometh shall inherit these things_ (v. 6), i. e. the\n promises just enumerated. These words show the reason for the words\n of ver. 6; and may be called the text on which the Apocalypse is\n based; for though the words themselves do not often recur, yet the\n spirit of them is constantly appearing.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._,\n Rev., p. 511.\n\n 572 See Reynolds, art. \u201cJohn the Apost.,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, who\n says, \u201cThe speaker is now, probably for the first time in the book,\n God himself;\u201d also see Swete, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 275.\n\n 573 Verses 11\u201021 describe the _exterior_, and verses 22\u201027 describe the\n _interior_ of the city, while verse 22f.\u2010ch. 22:5 further describe\n the _life_ of the city.\n\n 574 \u201cThese stones are not arranged in the same order as in the\n breastplate of the highpriest. Instead of this St. John has most\n ingeniously disposed them according to the various shades of the\n same color ... showing a technical knowledge and a minute\n acquaintance with the nicest shades of color of precious stones only\n possessed by persons with a practical knowledge of their nature.\u201d\n King\u2019s _Nat. Hist. of Prec. Stones_, quoted in _Bib. Com._, Rev., p.\n 832.\n\n 575 \u201c12,000 furlongs or stadia amounting to 1378 English miles\u201d. Dean,\n _Book of Rev._, p. 185.\n\n 576 For the first view see Alford, _Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 741, for the\n second view Milligan, _Internat. Com._, Rev., p. 154.\n\n 577 \u201cA cube was symbolical of perfection to a Jew as a circle is to\n ourselves.\u201d Moffatt, _Expos. Gr. Test._, Rev., p. 483.\n\n 578 See Smith\u2019s _Dict. of Bib._, art. \u201cBabylon\u201d; and Swete, _Apoc. of\n St. John_, p. 285.\n\n 579 \u201cLife in each case is \u03b6\u03c9\u03ae, the vital principle which man shares with\n God. not \u0392\u03af\u03bf\u03c2, the life which he shares with his fellowmen.\u201d\n Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 52.\n\n 580 \u201cIn the old Paradise there was but one such tree, in the new one\n there are many.\u201d _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 297. For a similar idea,\n not of twelve crops of fruit but of twelve trees with divers fruits\n for Israel, see _II Esdr._ 2.18.\n\n 581 \u201cBy oriental usage, no condemned or criminal person was allowed to\n look on the king\u2019s face\u201d (Esth. 7:8). Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._,\n Rev., p. 488.\n\n 582 \u201cThe whole meaning and value of the New Jerusalem lies in the\n presence of God with men which it guarantees.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr.\n Test._, Rev., p. 480.\n\n 583 D\u00fcsterdieck, Meyer\u2019s _Com. on Rev._, p. 490; and Plummer, _Pulp.\n Com._, Rev., p. 546. \u201cThe Revelation is begun (ch. 1.17\u201020) and\n ended (ch. 22.16) by Christ himself; but the main portion is\n conducted by means of his angel.\u201d _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 2.\n\n 584 \u201cIn the seventh verse, with the affirmation _Behold, I come\n quickly_, the narration passes into the words of Christ himself,\n just as in ver. 12 and ch. xi. 3.\u201d Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 546.\n\n 585 \u201cThe present era, which is \u2018a day of salvation\u2019, is so nearly at an\n end that there is hardly room for change.... The principle which\n underlies the whole verse (v. 11) applies only to the moment before\n the Judgment breaks, the point when the Bridegroom comes and the\n door is shut, when choice is sealed and opportunity ends,\u201d Scott,\n _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 300f.\n\n 586 \u201cAll history from the redemptive point of view is summed up in the\n three sentences, He is coming, He has come, He will come again.\u201d\n Ottley, art. \u201cIncarnation.\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 587 \u201cWhen Christ claims this title for himself, it is plainly announced\n that the revelation of God in Christ, in what he was and what he\n did, is the key to the issues of human life. Christianity is final.\u201d\n Ross, art. \u201cFirst and Last.\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Chr. and Gosp._\n \u201cThe first title is symbolical; the second is borrowed from the Old\n Testament; the third is philosophical. The sense is, \u2018I am He from\n whom all Being has proceeded, and to whom it will return;\u2014the primal\n Cause and final Aim of all history;\u2014Who have created the world, and\n Who will perfect it.\u2019 \u201d Lee, _Bib. Com._ Rev., p. 840. Also cf. the\n view of Bacon, art. \u201cAlpha and Omega,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Chr. and\n Gosp._\n\n 588 \u201cThe Apocalypse thus closes, as it began (ch. 1.5\u20106), with a note of\n ringing emphasis upon the eternal significance of Christ in the\n divine plan and purpose.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., p. 491.\n\n 589 Alford says, \u201cThe speech passes into the words of Christ reported by\n the angel.\u201d (_Gr. Test._, vol. iv, p. 746). Scott however, may be\n right in his comment on verse sixteen (_New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p.\n 302), when he says, \u201cThe figure which has been behind the angel from\n the beginning of the visions (ch. 1.13\u201017) ... now steps forth, as\n it were, to authenticate the angel\u2019s testimony.\u201d Swete says, \u201cNow at\n length Christ speaks in his human personal name\u201d (_Apoc. of St.\n John_, p. 305). Plummer\u2019s comment is made with apparent reserve,\n \u201cThe words are spoken as by Christ himself\u201d (_Pulp. Com._, Rev., p.\n 547), though elsewhere he says more definitely, \u201cThe Revelation is\n begun and ended by Christ himself\u201d (_Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 2).\n\n 590 Plummer, _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 547.\n\n 591 Plummer says, \u201cThese words are best understood as uttered by the\n writer.\u201d _Pulp. Com._, Rev., p. 547; in Swete\u2019s opinion \u201cIt is the\n answer of the church to the voice of John in verse twelve.\u201d _Apoc.\n of St. John._, p. 306; Milligan suggests that the first clause is\n the answer of the church moved by the Spirit, the second is the\n words of John, and the latter half is Christ himself speaking\u2014\u201can\n interchange of thought and feeling between Jesus and his church\u201d\n _Internat. Com._, Rev., pp. 160\u2010161. There is, however, nothing in\n the context that implies a change of speaker.\n\n 592 \u201cThis is the fulfilment of the duty laid upon St. John in ch. 1.1,\n not an announcement of our Lord himself\u201d, Plummer, _Pulp. Com._,\n Rev., p. 548. Swete, however, regards these as the words of Jesus\n himself, _Apoc. of St. John_, p. 307.\n\n 593 \u201cIt becomes a serious evil when the magnificent confidence and\n certainty of St John as to the speedy accomplishment of all these\n things is distorted into a declaration of the immediate coming of\n the Lord and the end of the world. Time was not an element in his\n anticipation. He was gazing upon the eternal, in which time has no\n existence.\u201d Ramsay, _Letters to Seven Ch\u2019s_, p. 113.\n\n 594 _New Cent. Bib._, Rev., p. 304.\n\n 595 For a list of authorities on Apocalyptic see note under heading of\n \u201cThe Form,\u201d in the Introduction to this volume. At this point the\n author feels constrained to say that the account of Apocalyptic\n Literature here given reflects so largely the opinions of others\n that it must be regarded, like much else in the book, as an effort\n to present concisely and in his own way the best that has been said\n upon the subject by many others who are more qualified to speak.\n\n 596 Bacon, _Intr. to New Test._, p. 232.\n\n 597 \u201cIt has been too readily assumed that these books are wholly without\n \u2018evidences of the Divine Spirit leading on to Christ.\u2019 \u201d\n Fairweather, art. \u201cDevelopment of Doctr. in Apoc. Period.,\u201d\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, vol. 5.\n\n 598 J\u00fclicher, _Intr. to New Test._, p. 52.\n\n 599 \u201cThe fundamental idea is the moral one ... the basis of the\n religious is ethical.\u201d See art. \u201cEschatol.\u201d by Davidson. Hastings\u2019\n _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 600 \u201cIf we could grasp the underlying faiths that have clothed\n themselves in these strange forms, faith in the kingship of God, and\n the sure triumph of good over evil, and the heavenly blessedness of\n those who hold to God\u2019s side amid whatever shame and abuse and in\n the face of death; if through the peculiar imagery and obscure\n symbolism of the books we could feel the power of the unseen world\n and gain a fresh sense of its reality, then this use, call it\n literary, or call it devotional, would be the best use to which the\n books could be put, and even most in accordance with the highest\n mood and real purpose of their writers.\u201d Porter, _Mess. of Apoc.\n Writers_, Pref., p. xiii.\n\n 601 \u201cIn this weird world of fantasy, peopled by a rich Oriental\n imagination with spectral shapes and uncouth figures, where angels\n flit, eagles and altars speak, and monsters rise from sea and\n land\u2014in a world of this kind many Asiatic Christians of that age\n evidently were at home, and there the prophet\u2019s message had to find\n them.\u201d Moffatt, _Exp. Gr. Test._, Rev., Intr., p. 301.\n\n 602 See art. \u201cDevelopment of Doctrine in the Apocryphal Period,\u201d\n Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._, vol. 5; also art. \u201cZoroasterism\u201d by\n Moulton, Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Bib._\n\n 603 Zenos, art. \u201cApoc. Lit.,\u201d Hastings\u2019 _Dict. of Christ and the\n Gospels_.\n\n 604 \u201cThe _deus ex machina_, an abnormal and effectual interposition of\n God, is an essential feature of an apocalypse.\u201d Humphries, _St John\n and Other Teachers_, p. 92.","title":"A Bible School Manual: Studies in the Book of Revelation: An introduction, analysis, and notes, containing a concise interpretation according to the symbolic view, numerous references to authorities, and general mention of other interpretations, with the text of the American revised version edited in paragraphs, for the use of Bible students","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":110754}